EPAEurovision singer Joost Klein has expressed his frustration and relief that Swedish police have closed their investigation into an incident backstage that led to his disqualification from the contest.
The singer was removed just hours before the grand finale in May after an alleged altercation with a camerawoman.
But Swedish prosecutors said on Monday They could not prove that a gesture Klein made during the incident was “likely to cause serious fear or that Klein intended to frighten her by doing so.”
On Instagram, the singer welcomed the decision. “There are no charges against me,” he said“because there was never a case.”
However, he expressed his disappointment that it took three months for the investigation to be completed.
“The last few months have been terrible,” he said.
“Even though I love performing all over the world, something didn’t feel right. Why did we have to wait so long for an answer?”
He also suggested that his disqualification was based on commercial considerations, although it is unclear what those might have been.
“Corporations just want to protect their money and they tried to use me as a shield,” he wrote. “A village against the city.”
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This year’s Eurovision Song Contest was unusually tense and was marked by months of protests in connection with Israel’s participation.
Several musicians were forced to withdraw, while others, including Eric Saade and Bambie Thug, smuggled pro-Palestinian messages into their performances.
Some participants complained of a “tense” and “terrible” atmosphere backstage, while pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel groups held several demonstration marches through the host city of Malmö, Sweden.
The day before the grand finale, Klein did not show up for a dress rehearsal to present his song “Europapa,” which was considered one of the favorites.
Shortly afterwards, the European Broadcasting Union, which organizes the competition, said in a statement that it was investigating Klein over “an incident” involving a member of the show’s production team.
The next day, it was announced that the Swedish police had received an allegation of intimidation by a camerawoman.
The EBU then withdrew Klein from the competition on the grounds that participation during ongoing legal proceedings would have been inappropriate.
Dutch broadcaster Avrotros, which is responsible for organising the country’s Eurovision entry, described the move as “disproportionate”.
It states that Klein was filmed immediately after leaving the stage “contrary to clear agreements” and despite his repeated statements that he did not want to be in front of the camera.
On Monday, the broadcaster said the Swedish prosecutor’s decision to drop the case confirmed its original response.
“We have said from the beginning that this disqualification is unnecessary and disproportionate, and that is how it now appears to be.
“We are still deeply disappointed that the European adventure of Joost Klein and the entire Netherlands ended in this brutal way.
“The next step is to hold a meeting with the EBU management on this matter at very short notice.”
However, the EBU defended its decision to exclude Klein from the competition.
Jean Philip De Tender, the organisation’s deputy director general, said the police investigation was about “whether a crime was committed and not whether Mr Klein behaved inappropriately”.
“Like all responsible employers, we do not tolerate inappropriate behaviour and will always respond to any workplace issues reported to us,” he added.
“This new development therefore has no influence on our decision, which we fully stand by.”
Nevertheless, Klein updated his Instagram bio on Monday with the following text: “Eurovision 2025”.
