COPENHAGEN: Swedish prosecutors said on Wednesday they would put two men on trial for desecrating the Holy Quran in a series of incidents last year that prompted outrage in the Muslim world and raised fears of attacks.
The two men committed “offences of agitation against an ethnic or national group” on four separate occasions when desecrating the Holy Quran outside a mosque and in other public places, the Swedish Prosecution Authority said in a statement.
Sweden’s domestic security service raised its terrorism alert level as a result of the burnings, while neighbouring Denmark, which also saw the similar incidents, tightened its legislation to outlaw the practice.
“Both men are prosecuted for having on these four occasions made statements and treated the Quran in a manner intended to express contempt for Muslims because of their faith,” Senior Prosecutor Anna Hankkio said in a statement.
Evidence against the two men, named as Salwan Momika and Salwan Najem, consisted largely of video recordings, Hankkio said.
Najem denied any wrongdoing, his lawyer, Mark Safaryan, told Reuters on Wednesday.
“The permit granted in connection with the demonstration is covered by my client’s intent. His rights are protected by the Swedish constitution,” Safaryan said.
The lawyer for Momika did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
