Iran calls on Sweden to act against the desecration of the Quran and the release of one of its citizens

Iran has called on Sweden to take action against Quran desecration before considering the appointment of ambassadors, as well as requesting the release of an Iranian citizen detained by Sweden, according to Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday.

Iran's Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, discussed this issue with his Swedish counterpart, Tobias Billström, on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly meetings, as stated in the ministry's press release.

The statement noted that Amir-Abdollahian told Billström in New York, "Regarding the exchange of ambassadors, we expect a positive move from Sweden concerning the issue of the Quran."

In recent months, Sweden has witnessed numerous incidents of Quran desecration, which has sparked anger in the Islamic world. Stockholm condemned the burning of the Quran on its soil but stated that the country's laws guarantee freedom of expression and assembly, thus preventing it from banning such actions.

In July, Tehran responded by declaring that it would not approve the new Swedish ambassador.

On Tuesday, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, while holding a copy of the Quran at the United Nations, stated, "The fires of insult and distortion will not be a response to the truth."

The Iranian minister told his Swedish counterpart, "Defending Swedish values while ignoring the values of billions of Muslims around the world is unacceptable."

Stockholm has also called for the release of Hamid Nouri, the former head of Iranian prisons, who has been sentenced to life imprisonment in Sweden for his role in mass executions of prisoners in 1988.

The minister stated, "We hope that the Swedish government makes a wise and courageous decision in the appeal stage and releases Nouri." He added, "We are prepared for positive and constructive cooperation in various fields."

The statement did not mention the Swedish citizens imprisoned in Iran, including Swedish diplomat Johan Frisell, 33, who has been detained for more than 500 days on charges of committing "serious crimes against international law."

Iran executed Swedish citizen Habib Chaab on Iranian soil in May 2020 after he was convicted of "corruption on earth and forming a rebellious group" following his kidnapping in Turkey in October 2020. Chaab's hanging sparked outrage in Sweden.

Swedish-Iranian academic Ahmadreza Djalali, who was arrested in Iran in 2016 and sentenced to death on similar charges, remains under the threat of execution.

Iran executed 582 people in 2022, more than any other country except China, according to several non-governmental organizations.


AFP