Two men identified as Salwan Momika and Salwan Najem, are set to go on trial in Sweden for burning the Quran during a series of protests last year, actions that led to widespread outrage in Muslim-majority countries.
According to a statement by Swedish prosecutors on Wednesday, both men face charges of “agitation against an ethnic or national group” for burning copies of the Islamic holy book on four separate occasions.
Al Jazeera reports that the two suspects have been charged with desecrating the Quran, including burning it, while making derogatory remarks about Muslims, with one incident occurring outside a mosque in Stockholm.
The events, which took place in the summer of 2023, sparked outrage among Muslim leaders, led Sweden to enhance its security measures, and strained relations with Middle Eastern countries.
Senior Prosecutor Anna Hankkio stated, “Both men are prosecuted for having on these four occasions made statements and treated the Quran in a manner intended to express contempt for Muslims because of their faith.”
Hankkio added that the men’s actions fall under the category of agitation against an ethnic or national group and noted the importance of having the matter tried in court.
The evidence against the men primarily consists of video recordings, according to Hankkio.
One of the accused, Najem, maintains his innocence, with his lawyer, Mark Safaryan, asserting that the permit granted for the demonstration aligns with his client’s intent and that his rights are protected under the Swedish Constitution.
Momika, an Iraqi Christian refugee, has stated that his actions were intended to protest against Islam and to advocate for a ban on its holy book.
Meanwhile, Sweden’s migration agency has sought to deport Momika due to false information on his residency application, but the order has not been executed due to the risk of torture he could face in Iraq.
The Quran burnings triggered widespread protests in various countries. In Iraq, demonstrators stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad twice in July 2023, setting fires in the compound.
As a response to these burnings, 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.
Although, critics argue that Quran burnings constitute free speech and should be legally protected, this month, prosecutors charged Swedish-Danish right-wing activist Rasmus Paludan with a similar crime for a Quran-burning protest in Malmo in 2022.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Denmark, which also experienced a wave of Quran burnings last year, new legislation was introduced to ban the practice.
