Swedish embassy set on fire by protesters

The Swedish Embassy in Baghdad (Iraq) was set on fire Thursday, July 20 at dawn, during a demonstration organized by supporters of religious leader Moqtada Sadr. The purpose of the rally was to denounce an event scheduled for Thursday in Sweden, during which a copy of the Koran must be burned by an Iraqi activist, already criticized for his burnings.

Smoke billowed from the diplomatic grip, as noted by the AFP correspondent from the roof of a building in the neighborhood, where Iraqi riot forces deployed in large numbers then chased down dozens of protesters who remained on the spot, using water cannons and electric batons.

Embassy staff are “safe”, for its part declared the Swedish Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Stockholm. “We are aware of the situation. Our embassy staff are safe and the ministry is in regular contact with them”the ministry said in an email.

At the heart of the tensions, the small gathering (authorized by the Swedish authorities) must be held as planned Thursday in Stockholm at the initiative of Salwan Momika, an Iraqi refugee in Sweden who plans to burn a copy of the Koran and the Iraqi flag, all in front of the Iraqi embassy. Customary of controversial performances, he had already provoked the ire of Morocco and Turkey at the end of June after tearing up and burning a copy of the Koran in the Swedish capital.