The Swedish embassy in Iraq was stormed by hundreds of people and set on fire on 19 July.
Now several high-ranking people in Iraq’s military, including a major general, are being sentenced to prison terms.
Among other things, because they refused to carry out their mission to protect the Swedish embassy.
A large number of people employed by Iraq’s military are sentenced to prison after the storming of the Swedish embassy in July. It shows documents that TV4 Nyheterna has seen from the court for Iraq’s internal security forces.
At 02:00 local time on July 19, violent demonstrators stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad. Footage from the chaotic night shows the building being vandalized and set on fire.
“Iraqi authorities have an unequivocal obligation to protect diplomatic missions and diplomatic personnel under the Vienna Convention. It is clear that the Iraqi authorities seriously failed in this responsibility”, wrote Tobias Billström (M), Minister of Foreign Affairs.
A responsibility that the country’s judicial authorities now seem to have taken on.
15 are sentenced to prison
A brigadier general, three colonels and a lieutenant colonel are sentenced to three years in prison for refusing to carry out their duties: to protect the Swedish embassy.
A major general, three brigadier generals, two lieutenant colonels and a captain are sentenced to two years and three months in prison. According to the verdict, for “failure to carry out their duties and take the necessary measures to collect detailed intelligence about the storming and burning of the Swedish embassy.”
A captain and two first lieutenants are sentenced to the shorter sentence of one year and six months in prison, taking into account their young age.