European Court of Justice to Examine Whistleblower Protection in Swedish Medical Research
The Center for Justice is representing a group of researchers who are accusing the Karolinska Institute in Sweden of unfairly punishing them for blowing the whistle on controversial surgeon Paolo Macchiarini. The whistleblowers participated in Macchiarini’s research and were deemed reprehensible by the institute’s review. However, they claim that they were not given the opportunity to defend themselves in a Swedish court.
In a press release, Professor Karl-Henrik Grinnemo, one of the accused researchers, stated, “The accusations against us are baseless, but we have not been allowed to defend ourselves. We hope for redress in the European Court of Justice so that future whistleblowers are not punished in the same way as us.”
The European Court of Justice has now announced that it will examine whether Sweden has met the requirements for effective protection against reprisals, as outlined in the European Convention. The Swedish government has until spring 2024 to respond to the court’s inquiry.
“We believe it is crucial that this case be heard by the European Court of Justice, not only for whistleblower protection in medical research but also for patient safety in Sweden,” said Alexander Ottosson, a lawyer at the Center for Justice representing the whistleblowers. He also noted that it may take approximately two years before the court can issue a judgment in the case.
Macchiarini, who performed surgeries involving synthetic tracheas on patients at Karolinska University Hospital, was recently sentenced to 2.5 years in prison for three counts of serious assault. He has appealed the sentence to the Supreme Court, which has not yet announced whether they will hear the case.
This case highlights the importance of whistleblower protection and accountability within the medical research field. The outcome of the European Court of Justice’s examination will be closely watched by experts and advocates in the industry, as it could set a precedent for future cases involving whistleblowers in Sweden and throughout Europe.