New investigation for possible incitement after Koran stunt in Sweden

After the renewed desecration of a Koran in Stockholm, the Swedish authorities are launching a new investigation for possible incitement.

A complaint had been filed and a preliminary investigation led by a public prosecutor had been launched, the Stockholm police announced on Friday.

The man responsible for the action, a native of Iraq, had already been under investigation since a Koran burning on June 28 for possible incitement and violation of a fire ban.

The man and a fellow campaigner held another anti-Islam rally in the Swedish capital on Thursday, at which the burning of Islam’s holy scriptures had again been planned.

“This time, the action near the Iraqi embassy did not result in a major Koran burning. The man did trample on a copy of the holy book.

“He also tried to set it on fire with the other participant, but the fire did not ignite properly, Swedish media reported from the scene.

However, according to pictures, some of the book pages had small burn marks.

The mere authorisation of the gathering by the police had already led to an attack by angry demonstrators on the Swedish embassy in the Iraqi capital Baghdad before the actual action.

Criticism of religions was covered by freedom of expression in Sweden.

However, the extent to which setting fire to the Koran could be considered incitement had never been examined by a court in the Scandinavian country.