Iraq expels Swedish ambassador over 'Koran burning' tensions

Reuters and DPA reported that Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani has instructed the Foreign Ministry to ask the Swedish ambassador in Baghdad to leave Iraq. The move is in response to "the Swedish government's repeated permission to burn the Koran," according to the Iraqi prime minister's press office.

Iraq also suspended the operating license of Swedish telecoms giant Ericsson, state news agency INA said.

Iraq trục xuất đại sứ Thụy Điển vì căng thẳng đốt kinh Koran - Ảnh 1.

Iraq trục xuất đại sứ Thụy Điển vì căng thẳng đốt kinh Koran - Ảnh 2.

Hundreds of protesters stormed the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq. Photo: Reuters

Earlier, on July 19, Swedish news agency TT reported that police had allowed a public gathering outside the Iraqi Embassy in Stockholm on July 20. According to TT, an individual attempted to "burn the Koran and the Iraqi flag."

Additionally, Iraqi refugees living in Sweden reportedly stepped on a Koran but did not burn it during a performance in Stockholm.

Hundreds of protesters stormed the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad on July 20, scaling the building’s walls and setting it on fire. The protesters gathered at the site because they expected “a Koran burning.”

Iraqi riot police used water cannons to disperse the crowd, while security forces armed with electric batons chased protesters.

Supporters of Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr have called for protests to protest against the second planned Koran burning in Sweden in recent weeks.

The Swedish Foreign Ministry press office stressed the need for Iraqi authorities to protect Swedish diplomatic missions and staff, saying the attacks on the embassy and diplomats "are a serious violation of the Vienna Convention".

The Iraqi Foreign Ministry has condemned the storming of the Swedish Embassy by protesters. The Iraqi government has said it has ordered an investigation into the incident to find the perpetrators and hold them accountable.

Swedish Foreign Minister Tobias Bilstrom condemned this as "completely unacceptable". "It is clear that the Iraqi authorities have seriously failed to protect diplomatic missions and staff," Bilstrom stressed.

Sweden has summoned Iraq's charge d'affaires in Stockholm to express its disappointment over the incident.

Pham Nghia

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