The angry protesters, who were reportedly the supporters of prominent Iraqi Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, stormed the main gates of the embassy building on Thursday, holding up copies of the Qur’an and chanting pro-Sadr slogans, Press TV reported.
“We are mobilized today to denounce the burning of the Qur’an, which is all about love and faith,” a protester told AFP. “We demand that the Swedish government and the Iraqi government stop this type of initiative.”
Iraq’s Foreign Ministry condemned the torching of the Swedish embassy building In a statement, saying the Iraqi government had instructed security forces to carry out a swift investigation, identify the perpetrators and hold them to account.
Following the incident, Sweden’s Foreign Ministry announced that its embassy staff in Baghdad are “safe”.
The ministry further said Iraqi authorities have the responsibility to protect diplomatic missions and staff, adding that attacks on embassies and diplomats “constitute a serious violation of the Vienna Convention.”
The development comes as Swedish authorities have approved an assembly to be held later in the day outside the Iraqi embassy in Stockholm, where organizers plan to burn a copy of Muslims’ holy book as well as the Iraqi flag.
Two people are set to participate in the demonstration, Swedish media reported on Wednesday, adding that one of them is the same person who set a Qur’an on fire outside a Stockholm mosque in June.
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