In an interview with GoHandball, former IHF top official Per Bertelsen claims that Sweden, which has refused to disclose how it voted in the 2025 IHF presidential election, “voted for Hassan and for all of Hassan’s candidates.”
Now, both Jörgen Holmqvist and Fredrik Rapp respond to the allegations, addressing questions about personal relationships, influence, and Sweden’s continued silence.
When GoHandball recently published its interview with former IHF top official Per Bertelsen, one passage stood out.
Bertelsen did not merely speculate about Sweden’s position in the December presidential election within the International Handball Federation. He said he was “quite sure” Sweden had voted for Hassan Moustafa and for all of “his” candidates.
He also pointed to what he described as personal and structural ties: Anna Rapp’s position within the IHF, her marriage to Fredrik Rapp, and Jörgen Holmqvist’s close relationship with Moustafa.
GoHandball has now spoken to both Holmqvist and Rapp.
Holmqvist on his relationship with Moustafa
Bertelsen suggested that Holmqvist’s proximity to Moustafa may have influenced Sweden’s position. Holmqvist does not deny that the two have a close relationship, but he rejects the assumption that this would dictate a national vote.
He traces their connection back nearly two decades.
“My brother was the vice president at the IHF when he died in 2007, and then I called Hassan to let him know. Since then we have had a great personal relationship. Per and I was talking the night before the election in December and he told me that there are only two persons who Hassan listens to and those are myself and Jean Brihault. I always speak my mind with Hassan, and he wants me to. Then he makes his own decisions. But if my relationship with Hassan affected how Sweden voted I don’t know.”
For Fredrik Rapp, Bertelsen’s comments touch on two separate issues: his marriage to Anna Rapp and Sweden’s actual voting behavior.
When asked about the claim that his relationship with Anna Rapp may have affected Sweden’s stance ahead of the election, he responds by distinguishing between private and institutional considerations.
“My relationship with Anna, if you mean that we are married, I don’t believe that played any role. It matters to me personally, of course, but not on behalf of Sweden. Our international strategy is to have representatives in all relevant bodies. Our most important ones there are Anna and Stefan Lövgren. Those are positions we work hard for and want to secure. Whether there are private or personal relationships is irrelevant. For us, it’s about having competent people in the right positions.”
Rapp emphasizes continuity in Sweden’s approach: supporting candidates they consider qualified, often within the Nordic sphere, but not as a matter of automatic alignment.
When asked whether he could confirm Bertelsen’s claim that Sweden voted for Moustafa and his slate, Rapp declines to go into specifics.
“No, I don’t really want to comment on that at all. We never vote for someone’s candidates just because they are someone’s candidates. We vote for the people we find suitable. Historically, we have almost always voted for Nordic candidates if we think they are good. We would never vote for someone simply because another person wants them in.”
He also reflects on the broader electoral dynamics within international handball, noting that political trade-offs are more common at the European level than globally, given the size and diversity of the IHF electorate.
On Bertelsen’s direct accusation
When presented with Bertelsen’s full statement, that Anna Rapp’s insider role, her marriage, and Holmqvist’s legal work for Moustafa explain Sweden’s silence, Rapp remains measured.
“I don’t really have any comment on that. Per has to stand for his own words. Yes, I am married to Anna, and Jörgen works as a legal advisor not only in those contexts but also with others. There are not many lawyers with deep expertise in international sports law. That naturally creates close professional relationships. But if you work internationally for many years, you get to know everyone very well. That doesn’t mean personal friendships determine national decisions.”
During the interview, GoHandball put the question directly once more:
Would you now like to share how Sweden voted in the presidential election?
Rapp’s answer was short:
“No, we don’t want to.”
He does, however, clarify Sweden’s previous openness in uncontested elections.
“When there is only one candidate, we have always stood by our vote. In 2021, when there was only Hassan, we had no problem saying we voted for him. It’s not sensitive to say who you voted for when there’s only one option. What becomes sensitive is who you did not vote for.”
Read more: “I am quite sure Sweden voted for Moustafa” – Bertelsen points to internal ties behind the silence