Iraq expels Swedish ambassador over Koran burning, follows storming of embassy
- Iraq’s prime minister has cut diplomatic ties with Sweden in protest over the desecration of the Islamic holy book in Stockholm by an Iraqi asylum seeker
- Protesters had earlier stormed the Swedish embassy and set it on fire, some carried banners with pictures of influential Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sad
Protesters angered by the planned burning of a copy of the Koran by an Iraqi man in Sweden stormed the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad on Thursday, overrunning the diplomatic compound and starting a fire.
Hours later, Iraq’s prime minister cut diplomatic ties with Sweden in protest over the desecration of the Islamic holy book.
Protesters stormed the diplomatic post early on Thursday, waving flags and signs showing the influential Iraqi Shiite cleric and political leader Muqtada al-Sadr, and set a small fire. The attack on the embassy came ahead of a planned burning of the Koran in Stockholm by an Iraqi asylum seeker who had burned a copy of the Islamic holy book in a previous demonstration last month.
Following the incident, the Swedish Embassy announced that it had closed to visitors, without specifying when it would reopen.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani said in a statement after meeting with security officials that Iraqi authorities would prosecute those responsible for the arson as well as referring “negligent security officials” for investigation.
