Sweden’s NATO membership negotiations are in the final stages, and a Muslim holy festival is underway. The Turkish Foreign Minister immediately condemned the act.
After a long break, the Swedish police once again had to give permission to burn the Muslim holy book in Stockholm.
A Koran burner stood in front of a Stockholm mosque, placed bacon on top of the Koran and lit the holy book on fire.
The police have arrested one person and launched a criminal investigation into the incident. Arrested man repeatedly threw stones at Koran burning, Expressen magazine tells. The man is suspected of attempted assault.
A criminal investigation has been launched into incitement against a national group on the basis that the Koran was burned in front of a mosque. In addition, the man is accused of making an illegal open fire.
In February, the police had banned two similar demonstrations due to a terrorist threat. However, the Swedish courts recently ruled that the justification is not sufficient to limit the freedom of assembly.
According to Expressen, the organizer of the event, who has an Iraqi background, had written in the permit application that he wanted to express his opinion about the Koran and tear up and burn the book.
The police had stated in their response that open fires are prohibited in Stockholm.
– It is true that making an open fire is prohibited. But the constitutional right to free speech goes beyond the ban. If dangerous situations arise, the police will intervene. Otherwise, it is a violation of a fine, a police spokesman Helena Boström Thomas clarified to Expressen.
An obstacle to NATO membership
The burning of the Koran came at a very sensitive time. Sweden’s NATO membership negotiations are in the final stages, and the Eid al-Fitr celebration, the end of the Muslim fast, is underway.
The burning of the Koran outside the Turkish embassy, for example, has previously sparked fierce debate and opposition.
President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said that Sweden’s membership in the military alliance NATO cannot be promoted as long as the burning of the Koran is allowed in the country.
Sweden is scheduled to negotiate NATO membership with Turkey next Thursday in Brussels.
Today the Turkish Foreign Minister Hakam Fida said that Turkey condemns the burning of the Koran in Stockholm.
– It is unacceptable that such actions are allowed in the name of freedom of speech. Tolerating such terrible acts means complicity, Fidan wrote on Twitter.
Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson did not want to speculate at the press conference about the effects of burning the Koran on Sweden’s NATO membership.
– It is legal, but not appropriate, Kristersson commented on the burning of the Koran.
With the exception of Turkey and Hungary, all other NATO countries have accepted Sweden’s membership application. Hungary said this evening that it will not process Sweden’s NATO membership application during the summer.
A far-right politician who previously burned Korans in Stockholm Rasmus Paludan not related to today’s demonstration.