The Injustice and Tragic Circumstances Surrounding Johan Galtung’s Death
Where Law Ends, Tyranny Begins
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Dr Irene Galtung
August 6, Hiroshima Day, 2024
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Foreword by Jan Oberg, TFF director
This is the story about the heart-breaking circumstances under which our TFF Associate and friend of over 50 years, Professor Johan Galtung, died – as told by his daughter, Dr. Irene Galtung, a lawyer for the right to food and safe drinking water. Dr Dag Poleszynski, Norway, and I have given advice and commented on Irene Galtung’s writing of this very complex story with its immense documentation, but the text is exclusively hers.
Norwegian-born Johan Galtung (1930-2024) – a mathematician, sociologist and peace and future researcher – was, beyond any doubt, one of the most important social scientists of our time and perhaps the most creative, productive and visionary. Many consider him the father of academic peace and conflict research and a pioneer in future studies but, of course, a new science has more fathers and mothers.
Galtung published over 150 books, taught at universities around the world, and lived with his Japanese wife, Fumiko Nishimura Galtung, in – among other countries – the US, Japan, Norway, Yugoslavia, and Spain. He was the driving force in establishing the Peace Research Institute Oslo, PRIO, in the late 1950s and the online university and peace journalism network Transcend. He earned honorary degrees from more than a dozen universities in different parts of the world.
Galtung – Johan since he was one of my two mentors, the other being Håkan Wiberg – was not only a theoretician with new conceptualisations of violence, peace and social science methodology – and a pioneer in explaining China to the West. He also mediated in countless conflicts and was invited to develop possible peace plans – for instance, for North and South Korea. His peace model for the Palestine-Israel conflict within a larger Middle Eastern peace structure is still unique about 50 years after it was published.
His development with Dietrich Fischer and myself of human security and alternative defensive defence would, if implemented by countries, have secured a much safer world at much lower levels of violence and with weapons of mass destruction gone forever.
Galtung – who was in his mid-20es when, in prison as a conscientious objector, he wrote a pathbreaking book together with his friend, Arne Næss, about Gandhi’s political ethics – was faithful all through his life to the principles of non-violence and, if you will, the Pancsheel – the Five Principles of Peaceful Co-Existence among nations.
He was also considered ’controversial’ – mostly by lesser minds, for instance those at the Nobel ’Peace’ Committee who did not deem his 70-years long academic, political and practical work for everything Alfred Nobel wanted to reward and the UN norm of making peace by peaceful means worthy of their prize.
As co-founder with my wife, Christina Spannar, and director of TFF, I am grateful for the opportunity to honour Johan Galtung’s lifelong commitment to true peace. Indeed, as Kenneth Boulding once said, it is difficult to imagine that all this came from one single human being. It did. But did the world understand it? I have my sincere doubts. But I am sure that the Norwegian NATO-loyal world did not understand a thing.
And shamefully it caused him indescribably pain towards the end – so much so that he even went on a hunger strike in protest against the authorities.
No human being – particularly not at 93 – should ever be forced to endure what Johan suffered. Neither should Irene Galtung, who lovingly did more for him than anyone else.
TFF makes the tragic story of Galtung’s death public in the hope that he may get some redress for the suffering he had to endure. That suffering caused by state authorities and individuals ought be unthinkable in any type of society and state.
Honoured be his memory. Since 1986, TFF has published hundreds of articles and videos by Galtung. We will continue to do so now and then. The troubled world we live in deserves to know his thoughts better and be inspired by his lifelong achievements for and devotion to true peace.
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Summary and introduction – Why must this be made public?
This article reveals a series of events, illegal and inconsistent decisions, mysterious details, gross human rights violations and other injustices that hit my father, Johan Galtung, at the age of 93, leading up to his death on 17 February 2024. They were caused partly by the Norwegian state, partly by members of my family, my mother and his wife, Fumiko Nishimura Galtung, my brother Fredrik Galtung and my two half-brothers Andreas Galtung and Harald Galtung.
I decided to make this public in agreement with Dr Dag Poleszynski and Dr Jan Oberg. They have both been Johan’s friends and colleagues for 50 years and agree that the story deserves to be told.
For your information, my father wanted the maltreatment and illegal acts committed against him to be relayed to the public.
I give permission for this document to be freely distributed.
Professor Johan Galtung, father of peace studies and nominated many times for the Nobel Peace Prize, inspired and continues to inspire thousands of people around the globe in the work for peace. He and I were born in Norway, the country that awards the Nobel Peace Prize. He did not deserve to be treated this way by the Kingdom of Norway, nor does any fellow citizen or non-citizen of Norway. What was done against my father is of public interest in order to help prevent it from happening to other people. If it can happen to him, it can happen to you – or the people you love most.
My father stood in defiance of tyranny until the end. I stand with him.
Finally, these are my views on what happened. I have a right to tell how my father’s and my rights were violated.
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My father was always a global traveller, but since 2018 he and my mother had lived in Spain. Since they were both in need of daily care, I had organised all aspects of that for them for years. Johan decided to move to Norway on 20 September 2023 because he wanted to live with me in my home for the rest of his life. I organised daily public caregivers for him right away and took great care of him. He lived very happily with me for 4 months until 19 January 2024.
On that day, he was illegally taken away from my home while he protested loudly, “Where are my human rights?” In my judgment, this was a crime. No doctor was present. Just 8 days earlier (on 11 January), a doctor (and three armed and uniformed police officers) were imposed upon our home. But the doctor declared my father mentally competent and that he could not be forced out of his home.
However, my father was falsely declared mentally incompetent by the State Administrator (in Norwegian, Statsforvalteren), Ida Juul-Gam. This happened despite the fact that between 20 September 2023 and 19 January 2024, Johan had been declared mentally competent by a judge in court, by several doctors, lawyers, Norwegian and Spanish notaries, the Norwegian police, his Norwegian Bank DnB, Norwegian government officials, etc. Thereafter, week by week, Ida declared Johan mentally competent and then incompetent at her own discretion.
On 19 January 2024, a guardianship was illegally imposed upon him by Norwegian authorities. (Mental incompetency is a precondition for the State to achieve guardianship). A few days later, Johan and I were no longer allowed to see each other, thus violating our human rights. He even went on a hunger strike, protesting against being separated from me. He said, ”This is the destruction of human rights.” Even prisoners have the basic human right to visitors. My father’s hunger strike did put pressure on the authorities, and later we were allowed to see each other again. My father was overjoyed and started eating again with me feeding him daily.
My father wanted to live the way he wanted, which meant seeing me, and I gave him food and love, cared for him day and night.
He was given morphine against his will, even twice a day and even though he expressly said he did not want morphine and that it is dangerous; it is also against Norway’s patient rights. He was given a bigger and bigger dose, days before his death. The morphine was ordered by one of my brothers and a doctor. He died on Saturday 17 February 2024 in Stabekk Helsehus (hospice), where my brothers had forced him to live against his will.
One of my brothers informed the media about Johan’s death, but none of them informed me of his death; I found out by chance while I was on my way to see him to give him food and liquids, as I did daily. The public/news media knew about my father’s death before I did. Later that afternoon on 17 February, my brothers wrote me that they already had Johan cremated a few hours after his death. This proved to be untrue.
My brothers refused to tell me where his “ashes” were. They violated my right under Norwegian law to say goodbye to my father before cremation, and my right to be informed of his death. A few days later, on 20 February, I discovered my father was not cremated and that my brothers had lied to me. They vigorously tried to prevent me from getting an autopsy to examine his cause of death. However, I did get a court-ordered autopsy, but I am still waiting for the toxicology (drug testing, poison) report about five months later. I suspect a morphine overdose.
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As if these tragic circumstances were not enough, Johan died after various family members had lifted everything from his bank accounts. One reason he wanted to go to Norway was to reclaim his funds. You’ll also see in what follows how virtually everything he had expressed as his legal decisions and wishes were ignored.
Also, despite all I did to care for both my parents, I have been accused by my brothers and mother of a variety of wrong-doings, which they conveyed to the authorities, but which, fortunately, I can prove with documentation are simply not true. They spread lies about me, that I am evil and insane, that I tortured and kidnapped my father, etc.
Andreas wrote to people: that I was charged by the police. I have never been charged by the police. Andreas wrote to people: that I was a sweet child, but I am now a bitter, middle-aged woman with menopause. This is misogynistic and untrue. These accusations came from a lawyer and professor in law: Andreas is a lawyer and professor in law at Handelshøgskolen Innlandet, in Norway.
Andreas alleged that I might commit murder-suicide. My father asked whether Andreas is mentally confused. Andreas wrote to my lawyer, Stian Finne Lange, that a possible scenario could be that “Irene collapses, kills herself and then Johan”. But as Johan pointed out, it would have to be in the opposite order: Irene would have to kill him first, and then herself.
Fredrik falsely wrote to Statsforvalteren, Ida Juul-Gam, that I accused Fumi of wanting to poison Johan. I never said that. Even Fumi’s lawyer, Gro Hermansen, slandered me. Gro, in November 2023, falsely wrote to Ida Juul-Gam that I presented a story to the municipality and my landlord that Fumi planned to kill Johan. Planning murder? Pre-meditating murder? I never said that. In the autumn of 2023, Johan and I had written to the municipality that Fumi threatened to harm Johan in any way possible, short of killing him. We had also sent to the municipality Fumi’s doctor’s declaration that: Fumi in 2022 committed acts of physical aggression against me, and threats of aggression against Johan and I.
I am a lawyer for the human right to food and safe drinking water of one billion starving people, against world hunger; and for how to claim this right in national, regional and international courts. That is what my PhD in Law is about. I am competent to judge that my father’s human rights were grossly violated and to certify that I was the one whose care and love he wanted towards the end of his life.
Documentation & proof
Everything stated in this document can be proven by materials I have such as original documents, copies of letters, Johan’s signatures on documents, audio recordings, photos and videos.
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Why did my father want to go to Norway, and what wishes did he express in a legal document before departure?
Johan freely wanted to leave Spain to go to Norway. He, Dag Poleszynski and I flew to Oslo, Norway, on September 20, 2023.
On the same day, before departing Spain, we went to the town’s notary who held him mentally competent. My father gave the notary the following 5 notarized statements (affidavit):
• In autumn and the beginning of winter 2022, his wife (my mother) Fumiko Nishimura Galtung threatened to injure him several times. Johan stated that she said to him, ”I’m capable of harming you, short of killing you.”
• He wants to live in Norway, with or near me, so I can continue taking care of him. (In an email on 24 September 2023, I notified my mother, brothers and extended family, of my father’s notarised wish to live with me in Norway. But my mother and brothers continued to falsely accuse me, even to government authorities, of having kidnapped my father.)
• Johan designated me as his funeral organiser (in Norwegian, gravferdsansvarlig), and he declared that I shall scatter his ashes in Norway. (He consistently designated me as his funeral organiser: for example, also in his last will (on his birthday, 24 October 2023) and in his previous will from 2022.)
• His sons Fredrik Galtung and Andreas Galtung took his money without his consent and left Johan destitute. Johan only had 724 NOK (about 72 Euros) in his Norwegian bank account. Therefore, he had no money to hire a lawyer against the theft of his money by his sons.
• He requested that I reported his sons Fredrik and Andreas to the police for theft of his money (50,000 Euros and 355,000 NOK, respectively). (Later my father’s lawyer, John Christian Elden, sent letters to Fredrik and Andreas to return the money to Johan.)
These five and other points were signed by Johan and notarised by the notary. The document clearly shows what was and what was not Johan’s wishes and will before leaving Spain. It also shows that Johan was not ”kidnapped” or “abducted” by Dag and I.
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How did the State guardianship happen? Step by step, illegally.
As mentioned, on 19 January 2024, Johan was suddenly declared mentally incompetent by the State administrator (Statsforvalteren) Ida Juul-Gam – despite, also as mentioned above, everybody else having officially declared him mentally competent (and no one had ever declared him mentally incompetent, neither in Spain nor in Norway). Guardianship means the State takes full control over a person: their finances, health decisions, where they live, etc. It means depriving a human being of her or his freedom. (As stated, mental incompetency is a precondition for the State to achieve guardianship.)
But Ida Juul-Gam never brought her decision to court, as she is legally obliged to do. She violated the very foundation of a democratic country like Norway, which is based on a system of checks and balances. This system is to prevent any one person or department from having absolute control over decisions. My father commented on 22 January, ”I’m mentally totally competent, but they CONJURED to declare me mentally incompetent. It’s criminal. It’s a self-appointed committee.”
Indeed, a court must decide whether my father is mentally incompetent and whether Statsforvalteren’s guardianship decision was right or wrong.
“If they don’t respect the law,” Johan added (on 22 January), “I am not obliged to follow what they do. Because they are not inside the law. They’re against the law.”
To boot, on 21 January (only 2 days after the start of the illegal guardianship), the State guardian, Knut Falchenberg, illegally fired Johan’s lawyer, John Christian Elden. My father was left defenceless and lawyer-less to fight against the guardianship. Not only that, but Knut never gave my father a replacement lawyer. When I told my father (on 22 January), he said, “I think it’s a plot, and well-thought-out, to get me into a condition from which I can’t get myself out.”
Other violations of the law by Juul-Gam include obstruction of justice. She delayed replying to the emails of Stian Finne Lange (my lawyer). Public officials are legally obliged to reply promptly. She delayed giving us access to the documents in the case, so we could not reply to the documents to try to prevent the guardianship. Plus violation of the rule against bias. Statsforvalteren is obliged to be unbiased and impartial. Nemo iudex in parte sua = no person may be a judge in their own case.
Equally serious, she declared my father mentally incompetent retroactively. Ida Juul-Gam did so without ever having met him in the past. According to her, Johan was mentally in-competent on 4 October 2023 when he signed power of attorney (POA) (”Vedvarende (fremtids-) fullmakt”). How far back does Ida want to go? Was my father mentally incompetent when he was 60? Was he mentally incompetent when he founded PRIO (Peace Research Institute Oslo) in 1959?
This also shows that the Statsforvalteren’s “samtale” (mental competency interrogation of my father in my home, 10 January 2024) was unnecessary and superfluous because Statsforvalteren was able to decide on someone’s competency without ever meeting the person. Further, Statsforvalteren had already made up her mind. Did Ida Juul-Gam have an interest in declaring my father mentally incompetent?
She also called my father’s doctor sometime between 2 and 12 January 2024. That is inappropriate behaviour and a breach of doctor-patient confidentiality. And she slandered me. She said to my father’s doctor that I lied, that I had kidnapped my father from Spain to Norway. This is slander against me by a government official, and it is not true as documented by what I just wrote above.
In the mentioned ”samtale” (interrogation on 10 January), Ida Juul-Gam cheated my father. They had agreed (written precondition between Ida, Johan and Johan’s Lawyer Elden) that for the interrogation English would be used because his daily language for the past decades was English. It was not supposed to be a language test, but Juul-Gam broke her agreement and spoke in Norwegian, even switching languages constantly and confusing my father. Her excuse was, that she is not good at English. In that case, she was not qualified to do this important interrogation. She also said she had not come prepared with the questions in English. That is unprofessional. She also repeatedly asked the same question until she got the answer she preferred.
Furthermore, the judge had ruled on 14 December 2024 that my father was mentally competent. Johan’s lawyer, Max Henrik Jespersen, represented my father. The reason there was a court case was that my mother sued her 93-year old husband in order to freeze all his assets. My father had to appear in court on video and he won the court case. But what did Juul-Gam do?
Besides going against the opinion of numerous doctors, lawyers, Spanish and Norwegian notaries, government officials, the Norwegian bank DnB, and the police (who all held my father mentally competent), she overruled the judgement of a judge (who had ruled that my father was mentally competent in December 2023), and decided my father was mentally in-competent retroactively (on 4 October 2023, when my father signed POA/fullmakt).
But this is not all. Juul-Gam invalidated all previous POA documents, even from 2020. My father designated me as his POA in all his POA documents. She had declared my father mentally incompetent only financially (on 16 January 2024). This meant my father could still decide, for example over his health, where he wants to live, legal separation.
My father requested legal separation from his wife (my mother) in October 2023 and re-affirmed his request numerous times to his lawyers, doctor and Juul-Gam; but the granting of legal separation was postponed, and then my father was illegally declared mentally incompetent, which meant he was not allowed to decide over legal separation anymore. Under Norwegian law, one does not ask for permission to be legally separated; legal separation is a right. On 16 January, my father wrote sarcastically to his lawyer, John Christian Elden, “Today the government took control of my money and property. I didn’t know we have that kind of authoritarian government in Norway. And they allow me to make my own medical decisions? How kind of them.”
Only three days later, on 19 January 2024, Ida mysteriously decided my father was 100% mentally incompetent.
When Ida imposed the guardianship, she illegally removed me as my father’s power of attorney (POA) and inserted a State guardian (Knut Falchenberg). If Johan was mentally incompetent, I should have taken over as POA/”guardian”, and made decisions for Johan, not a State guardian. My lawyer, Stian Finne Lange, warned Juul-Gam and Falchenberg that it was medically irresponsible to remove me as POA since I had all the knowledge about Johan’s health situation and how to care for him. Andreas and Knut have no such knowledge.
Ida Juul-Gam made slanderous, false accusations against me, which were never proven. For example, in her 19 January guardianship decision document (which my brothers continuously used to slander me, sending it to many people, trying to harm my reputation), she wrote that I did not act in the best interests of my father. She also wrote that I was financially unfit to care for my father. None of this is true.
On the contrary, when he arrived in Norway, I paid with my savings for his food, medicine, housing, doctors, pharmacy supplies and transportation. Johan arrived with 72 Euros on his account. How could I be financially unfit, when I did not have access to Johan’s money? My mother and brothers kept all his money. Not once, did my mother or brothers give any of Johan’s money for his housing, food, medicine, clothes, doctors, etc. They complained about my small home, but they never released any of Johan’s money, so he could afford a bigger place. Johan and I later moved to a bigger home. What interests did Ida Juul-Gam have, or serve, when promoting such lies?
Finally, on Friday 19 January, the guardian (Knut Falchenberg) forced Johan into hospital, against his will. My father was not dying, which was confirmed at the hospital. Even if he had been dying, he had every right to stay at my home and that was his wish. He was mentally competent. After the hospital, they dumped him in Stabekk Helsehus – hospice.
Lastly, both my parents had revoked Johan’s three sons as power of attorney (POA). Johan did not trust his three sons. Despite this, Norwegian entities (illegally and medically irresponsibly) formally gave power to Andreas (and Knut) in January/February 2024, to make medical decisions over Johan.
However, Andreas had no experience with Johan’s health and had never taken care of him, and Johan explicitly stated in legal documents that his sons shall not decide over him. It is a crime that the Norwegian authorities did this.
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How Johan was mistreated at the Stabekk hospice
Johan (with a witness) said on 2 February, when he saw me, that he (1) wanted to live, hence he should have been taken off hospice/palliative care right away, (2) he did not want morphine. I wrote this to the guardian, Knut, who did not act upon it. I also told the nurse at Stabekk Helsehus (hospice), who had entered the room with morphine syringes. Johan confirmed to her that he did not want morphine. The nurse responded that she would not give morphine.
This turned out to be a lie, because my lawyer, Arne Seland, and I, many days after Johan’s death (my brothers and Stabekk Helsehus tried vigorously to prevent me from accessing Johan’s medical journals), discovered that he was given morphine daily, twice a day – all the time against his will. Terribly and suspiciously, my father was given morphine at 6 AM on 17 February, which is only a short time before he died the same morning.
The timing (2 February) of when my father made those two statements above is important. On 19 January, Ida Juul-Gam declared my father 100% mentally incompetent. But on 1 February, while my father was on morphine and starving from being on hunger strike, Ida mysteriously, suddenly declared my father mentally competent in some areas. Hence, my father’s two wishes above had to be legally respected. Juul-Gam committed obstruction of justice.
It is urgent in both directions to know her decisions. But when my father was declared mentally incompetent (on 19 January), she urgently informed my father. But in the other direction, when she declared my father competent in some areas (on 1 February), she only informed my lawyer (Lawyer Stian Finne Lange) the day after by email. I received the official papers only days later. And Johan’s lawyer (who had been illegally fired by the guardian Knut Falchenberg) was also only informed days later. Indeed, from 1 February, Johan (but neither he nor I knew) was allowed to choose his lawyer, and choose his next of kin (the person who makes medical decisions for him). Johan signed (with a witness) on 10 February, that he wanted Lawyer Elden as his lawyer (again). His lawyer then informed the police of Johan’s signed decision. The police immediately accepted him as Johan’s lawyer. On 16 February, Lawyer Elden wrote to the police that he would soon see his client. But Johan died on 17 February.
Johan also signed (with a witness) on 10 February that he continued to want me as next of kin, and that he disagreed with the invalidation of all his previous POA documents by the Norwegian authorities.
On 16 February (the day before he died), I discovered that Stabekk Helsehus – the hospice – had lied to me. I saw my father’s old suprapubic catheter and that they had not changed the tube as they should have on 9 February (I had organised that appointment weeks before). They lied to me on 13 February that they had changed the tube on 9 February. I saw signs of infection: blood in Johan’s urine, uncleaned, infected stomach opening where the tube enters. For years, I made sure it was cleaned every day. The same day, I sent the pictures to Johan’s doctor in Spain who responded that the tube must be changed immediately. I wrote that to Stabekk Helsehus on 16 February and to my brothers on 17 February – not knowing my father had already died.
After Johan was taken away from my care, his health deteriorated quickly. His body was not moved regularly, and he had bedsores. When he lived with me, he walked every day without exception, even on 19 January, the day he was taken away. After that, he was bedridden and never walked again. In my home, he walked, sat and moved every day to relieve the pressure from his bedsores. In Stabekk Helsehus, his body was kept immobile in the same position for hours.
Furthermore, I warned Knut Falchenberg (when I discovered my father was given morphine against his will), that he was not acting in the best interests of my father: giving my father morphine was against his patient rights, and in direct contradiction to his health and well-being.
What’s more, I discovered my brothers put alcohol – a bottle of gin – in Johan’s cupboard in Stabekk Helsehus. Next to the gin was medicine, an opened blister pack of Atorvastatin Hexal, which was not prescribed for my father. Mixing Atorvastatin Hexal and alcohol can be lethal. I questioned my brothers about it: Andreas confirmed they put the gin there and added, “It’s none of your business.” Fredrik and Andreas said the doctor at Stabekk Helsehus authorized gin for Johan. I was very concerned and immediately alerted Stabekk Helsehus as it is very dangerous to mix gin with morphine. I asked Stabekk Helsehus to confirm whether the doctor authorized gin. I removed the gin and unprescribed medicine and gave it to the nurse, who was shocked to see the items.
I fail to find the justifications for such heart-breaking mistreatment.
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My family’s slander, lies, harassment and accusations against Johan and I
My brothers accused me of embezzlement and misappropriating money from my parents. I never did that. The – documentable – truth rather is that my brothers stole money from my father. They also sent a doctor to my father and I on 4 October 2023, falsely saying that I was crazy and extremely violent and Johan was mentally incompetent, dying and in need of immediate hospitalization. But the doctor confirmed that Johan was healthy and mentally competent and I was healthy and not dangerous.
Not a single day while my father was in Norway, did my brothers get pharmacy supplies for Johan. Nor did they spend any of his money on him.
I mentioned that Johan was destitute. His Norwegian account was basically emptied because he gave access to his account (years before) to Andreas. Andreas argued that he thereby ”saved” the money from being lifted by me. Johan immediately revoked Andreas’ access after that. On 1 September 2023, not only did Andreas transfer Johan’s money (355,000 NOK), without Johan’s approval, from Johan’s account, but he transferred it into Andreas’ law firm’s account.
That is a major violation of the rules of law firms accounts, and, a major violation of the code of conduct of lawyers. In addition, Johan was not Andreas’ client. Andreas then transferred the money from his law firm account to his own private account. That is theft. The owner of the money (Johan) demanded his money back, but Andreas refused. No matter what excuse Andreas had, theft is theft.
Andreas returned Johan’s 355,000 NOK, but only months later on 19 January 2024, when my father himself could not use his own money because he was under guardianship. Not a single part of Johan’s money (355,000 NOK) was spent on Johan. For example, it could have been spent on a 2nd opinion from an independent doctor (as was Johan’s wish) on how best to care for him at Stabekk Helsehus, and on new hearing aids (the guardian and my brothers left my father 19 January – 17 February without any hearing aids). I took care of his hearing and hearing aids daily for 4 years, from 2020 – 19 January 2024. His hearing aids were necessary for his hearing and well-being. (He could not be tested for mental competency without hearing aids.) The hospital doctor, on 23 January, assured me that new hearing aids would be acquired for Johan. It was never done. Knut and Andreas were responsible for Johan’s health.
Brother Fredrik has refused to return the 50,000 Euros he took in cash from Johan’s safety-deposit box in the bank. Fredrik said he was “safe-keeping” the money. The owner of the money (Johan) demanded his money back, but Fredrik refused. No matter what excuse Fredrik had, theft is theft.
Andreas also slandered our lawyers, Elden, Lange and Jespersen, blaming them and myself for my father’s bad health condition when he was in Stabekk Helsehus. Andreas sarcastically addressed an email to the three lawyers by writing, “Hey boys” (in Norwegian, “Hei gutter”). He falsely accused me of having kept Johan in captivity in my home, and the lawyers of contributing to that captivity.
On 6 October 2023, we were 7 people (including my landlord, landlady, my father and I) to request an RO – restraining order – against my 3 brothers. Fredrik, Harald and Andreas terrified and harassed Johan and I. They knocked on our door/window late at night. They terrified the children living above my home. Another time, my brothers came late at night (so it was dark, difficult for us to see) in the garden in front of my home. Another time, Harald trespassed and entered into my home. On 1 October, Johan stated to the police that he did not want to talk to his wife or sons, and that he was very happy living with me. My brothers harassed my father and I by repeatedly sending the police and doctors to our home. But every time, my father was declared physically healthy and mentally competent. On 6 October, the police was very likely granting us an RO, but suddenly on Saturday 7 October, my landlord and I received a phone call from that police officer that she had been taken off the case. Mysteriously, the case was moved to another town, which then denied the RO.
Concerning the RO (visiting ban) issued against me on 26 January 2024, which stated no reason why I was not allowed to see my father (moreover, my father himself very much wanted to see me), I exercised my constitutional right to oppose it and for the RO decision to be brought to court, so I could fight against it. But the police did not fulfil their duty to bring their RO decision to court. The RO was revoked by the police after 2 weeks, after I fought for my father’s and my human right to see each other. But it should never have been issued. What the police did was exactly the same as Statsforvalteren, Ida Juul-Gam, did (see above): the police violated the very foundation of a democratic country like Norway, which is based on a system of checks and balances.
Andreas also slandered Dag Poleszynski who helped me bring my father to Norway. He recently wrote emails to all of Dag’s co-workers, falsely accusing him of having kidnapped Johan. His co-workers reacted with disbelief.
Andreas filed a police report on me that my mother fears I will come to Spain and harm her and the caregivers and maybe kill them all. My mother also accused me of kidnapping Johan: she revoked me as her power of attorney (POA) on those false grounds. Fredrik took over as her POA in August 2023. He tried to get Johan to sign POA over to him too, but Fredrik failed. This shows Fredrik indeed, when it suits him, believed Johan to be mentally competent.
The sad truth is that my mother can be violent. And Johan, at age 92, feared her knives. My brothers (and Johan) know, Fumi threw a knife into my left shoulder when I was 16, because I was sad and did not keep my back straight while eating lunch with her. When I was 17, Fumi held a very big knife at me, and made me bend my knees and kiss the floor. I was terrified. I feared she might kill me. I bent my knees and kissed the floor. Then she threw the vacuum cleaner at me and went to bed. Despite all this, I later helped my elderly parents for years, both of them with equal love and kindness. My brothers did none of the sort. My brothers are happy they are not the target of Fumi, I am (because I am a girl).
My brothers were informed about the threats against my father, but did nothing to ensure his safety against my mother, who repeatedly threatened to injure him. Furthermore, many times: my brothers did not help, when my father repeatedly almost died in Spain the past years, not even to call to see how he is, or to congratulate him on surviving; they were informed of the emergencies; the messages were read; no reaction from my brothers. I helped every single time. My father said his sons’ behaviour was very painful for him to witness. My father was polite to his sons, because my father was a polite person.
In 2020, when Johan broke his hip and I helped, Harald wrote he does not want to help Johan and did not want to explain why. Harald wrote that I should write a book with the title that I do everything, the brothers do nothing. He found it funny. The day before Johan’s hip operation, my brothers demanded to see my parents’ bank statements. My parents did not like that at all. My mother said that Andreas could look at the bank statements together with her, but he refused. Several times, for example in 2022, both my parents said to me, my brothers were hoping that Johan died quickly so they could get inheritance.
Spanish nursing homes near my parents’ home have a client life expectancy of about 3-6 months, and are famous for negligence and abuse. While both my parents lived in Spain, I gave them the best possible life by arranging for them to stay at home, with the best possible health; helping and supporting them with their medical emergencies, administrative needs and practical day-to-day issues that needed to be resolved. I can estimate the amount of time I spent on this, for years. Monumental support by me, without any of my brothers’ assistance. My parents were extremely happy to remain in their beloved house.
Now, I have to struggle for my legal right to be the funeral organiser according to my father’s stated wish. Brother Harald took on that role on 19 February, illegally signing the papers, while I could not take on my rightful role as funeral organiser and sign the papers because I did not know where Johan’s body/“ashes” were because my brothers refused to tell me. Beyond the emotional aspect, this is a significant issue because Harald had my father cremated on 27 March without my knowledge or authorisation. Johan’s body is now permanently gone for a 2nd, independent autopsy, if needed.
As stated earlier, I suspect a morphine overdose. My brothers urgently tried to cremate my father and wrote me the lie – on the day he died – that he had already been cremated a few hours after his death. By cremating my father, it would not have been possible to perform an autopsy to examine the cause of his death; and it would not have been possible to prove my innocence by having nothing to do with my father’s death. My brothers would have slandered me and accused me of causing his death. They’ve tried to blame me for his death, even though my father died while he was formally under their care, not mine. Despite my brothers’ attempts at trying to prevent me from getting an autopsy, luckily my lawyer, Arne Seland, and I succeeded at getting a court-ordered autopsy – which the police had first denied, why? It was performed on 20 March.
At the moment (5 months after Johan’s death), Lawyer Arne Seland and I are still waiting for the toxicology results and final autopsy report.
As I write this, Johan’s urn (ashes) has not yet been given to me; and I have not yet been allowed to organise his memorial to be held only one week away, on 12 August 2024 in Norway, because Harald illegally took over as funeral organiser on 19 February. This memorial was pre-arranged and paid for in 2022-2023 by Johan, and I did my part of the preparations (my brothers refused to help) together with those who host the memorial. My brothers tried to get me un-invited from the memorial. I could add that there have been two memorials held in Spain with my brothers and mother attending. I was neither informed nor invited.
Postscript
On 25 January 2024, I saw Johan cry for the first time in my life:
Irene: They said today is the last day I can visit you.
Johan: Who said that? But I don’t understand why.
Irene: They didn’t give me a reason. They said if I visit you they will call the police.
Johan (starting to cry): My Lord. BUT I SO MUCH DEPEND ON YOUR VISIT.
Irene: I know. I know that.
Johan: Well well, then I’ll commit suicide.
Irene: Papi, I love you.
Johan: There’s a simple way. I stop eating.
Irene (starting to cry)
Johan: It was a nice life. Goodbye.
Dr. Irene Galtung
PhD in Law, European University Institute (EUI)
BA (Honors) in Law, Cambridge University
European Master’s Degree in Human Rights and Democratization (E.MA),
European Inter-University Centre for Human Rights and Democratization
Master of Research in Law (M.Res.), EUI
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Johan Galtung’s last video, from 2022, at the occasion of receiving the Mirpuri Foundation’s Leif Eriksson Peace Award. Here he summarises his lifelong work for peace, its motives and perspectives.
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