Two men in Sweden are set to stand trial for their involvement in burning the Quran during protests last year, which caused significant unrest in Muslim-majority countries.
The Swedish Prosecutor’s Office has charged Salwan Momika and Salwan Najem with "offences of agitation against an ethnic or national group" for their actions.
The charges come from several incidents in the summer of 2023 when Momika and Najem were accused of desecrating the Quran, including burning it, while making derogatory comments about Muslims. One of these incidents occurred outside a mosque in Stockholm, which further intensified the backlash from Muslim communities around the world.
Senior Prosecutor Anna Hankkio stated that the charges reflect the men’s intent to show contempt for Muslims based on their faith. She said that their actions and statements fall under laws designed to protect against agitation directed at ethnic or national groups. The case will be tried in court, with evidence primarily consisting of video recordings of the incidents.
Najem’s defense lawyer, Mark Safaryan, argued that Najem’s actions were legally protected under Swedish freedom of expression laws, as the protests were conducted with a permit. Najem maintains that he did nothing wrong, asserting that his actions were within the scope of his constitutional rights.
Momika, a Christian refugee from Iraq, claimed that his intent was to protest against Islam and advocate for a ban on its holy book. Although Sweden’s migration agency sought to deport Momika due to discrepancies in his residency application, the deportation order was halted due to the risk of torture he would face if returned to Iraq.
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The Quran burnings led to major protests, including two attacks on the Swedish embassy in Baghdad in July 2023, where demonstrators set fires at the compound. The international response included a resolution by the United Nations Human Rights Council addressing religious hatred and bigotry, with the United States and the European Union abstaining due to their positions on freedom of expression.
Critics argue that burning the Quran falls under free speech and should be legally protected. In addition to the charges against Momika and Najem, Swedish-Danish activist Rasmus Paludan faces similar charges for a 2022 Quran burning protest in Malmö, Sweden. In Denmark, which also experienced a series of Quran burnings last year, new legislation has been introduced to prohibit the practice.