Moscow: Sweden's prime minister claimed that Moscow had spread untrue information about the recent Quran-burning incidents in the Swedish capital and accused Moscow of waging a "disinformation campaign" to harm Stockholm's reputation abroad.
On Wednesday, Ulf Kristersson claimed on social media that "states and state-like actors" were spreading false information about Sweden.
We observe, among other things, that Russian actors are actively disseminating the untrue allegation that Sweden as a state would be responsible for the blasphemy of various holy texts. Of course, that is incorrect, the prime minister wrote, pointing out that the Quran-burnings took place amid "a challenging security situation."
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The Swedish government, according to Kristersson, "does not issue permissions to burn copies of the Quran" in public. "However, the police issue permits for public gatherings - a right that is enshrined in Sweden's constitution," he emphasised, adding that "how that right is then exercised is up to what the individual decides for himself."
In recent weeks, the Stockholm police authorised two demonstrations outside the Iraqi embassy in Sweden where copies of the Quran could be burned or otherwise damaged. Baghdad responded by recalling its own envoy and expelling the Swedish ambassador after the stunts sparked international outrage.
Last week, angry Iraqis marched on the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad after witnessing the desecration of the Islamic holy book. They broke into the compound and set it on fire before being repelled by security personnel.
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Several other Muslim countries, including Turkey, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, the United Arab Emirates, and Jordan, have denounced Sweden over the controversy.
Russian government representatives also denounced the burning of the Quran in Sweden and other parts of Europe. The State Duma, the country's lower house of parliament, issued a statement in which it claimed that the stunts "absolutely have nothing in common with democracy or the freedom of speech." The attacks on the Quran, according to President Vladimir Putin, were hate crimes that would not be tolerated in Russia.
A group of lawmakers claimed that the action "outraged" both Russian MPs and Muslims worldwide. Their response to Stockholm's justification for permitting the protests was that "the desecration of sacred items has nothing to do with freedom of speech and religion."
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Similar accusations were made earlier this year by Finland's top diplomat Pekka Haavisto, who claimed Moscow may have been responsible for yet another Quran-burning carried out by an anti-Islam activist in January. The incident was also denounced by the Russian Foreign Ministry, which referred to Haavisto's accusations as "disgusting."