Sweden charges two men over 2023 Quran burnings

Two men in Sweden are set to face trial for repeatedly burning the Quran during protests last year, actions that sparked significant outrage in Muslim-majority countries.

On Wednesday, Swedish prosecutors announced that Salwan Momika and Salwan Najem have been charged with “offences of agitation against an ethnic or national group” for four separate incidents.

The charges detail that the men desecrated the Quran, including by burning it, while making derogatory comments about Muslims, including an incident outside a mosque in Stockholm.

These events, which took place during the summer of 2023, provoked strong reactions from Muslim leaders, led Sweden to increase its security measures, and strained diplomatic ties with several Middle Eastern nations.

Senior Prosecutor Anna Hankkio stated, “Both men are being prosecuted for, on these four occasions, making statements and treating the Quran in a manner intended to express contempt for Muslims because of their faith.”

She emphasized the importance of having the matter tried in court, stating that the men’s actions fall under the legal provisions for agitation against an ethnic or national group.

The prosecution’s evidence largely consists of video recordings of the incidents, according to Hankkio.

Najem maintains that he did nothing wrong, his lawyer, Mark Safaryan, told Reuters. Safaryan argued that the demonstration permit covered his client’s actions and that his rights are protected under the Swedish Constitution.

Momika, a Christian refugee from Iraq, has stated that his intention was to protest against Islam as an institution and to call for the banning of its holy book. Although Sweden’s migration agency has sought to deport Momika for providing false information on his residency application, the order has not been enforced due to concerns that he could face torture if returned to Iraq.

The Quran burnings led to widespread protests in several countries. In Iraq, demonstrators stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad twice in July 2023, setting fires inside the embassy compound.

In response to the incidents, the United Nations Human Rights Council passed a resolution condemning religious hatred and bigotry, with only the United States and the European Union abstaining due to concerns over freedom of expression.

Critics argue that burning the Quran is a form of free speech that should be legally protected.

In a related case, Swedish prosecutors this month also charged Swedish-Danish right-wing activist Rasmus Paludan with the same crime over a 2022 Quran burning protest in Malmo, a city in southern Sweden.

Meanwhile, Denmark, which also witnessed a series of Quran burnings last year, has introduced new legislation to ban the practice.