On Wednesday night-Thursday morning, the Swedish embassy in Baghdad, Iraq was stormed and burned by hundreds of rioters. All diplomatic personnel are safe. The incident comes as a reaction to the granting of a demonstration in Stockholm in which a Koran was to be burned in front of the Iraqi embassy on Thursday. The Swedish ambassador in Baghdad has been ordered to leave the country, and Iraq has recalled its highest-ranking diplomat, the chargé d'affairs, from Sweden.
The below article from today's Göteborgs Posten is translated by Fousesquawk.
https://www.gp.se/nyheter/v%C3%A4rlden/svenska-ambassaden-i-irak-stormad-1.105243278
Caption: Hundreds of people stormed and started a fire at the Swedish embassy in Iraq's capital city of Baghdad on Wednesday night-Thursday morning. Police used electric batons and water cannons to try and disperse the crowd.
Swedish embassy in Iraq stormed
World: Hundreds of people stormed and started a fire at the Swedish embassy in Iraq's capital city of Baghdad on Wednesday night-Thursday morning. Police used electric batons and water cannons to try and disperse the crowd.
Embassy personnel are safe, the Foreign Affairs Department reports to TT (News).
The Swedish Foreign Affairs Department writes in an email to TT (Swedish press) that they are informed of the situation and that personnel at the embassy are safe. The Foreign Affairs Department reportedly has ongoing contact with the personnel.
"We condemn all attacks on diplomats from internal organizations. Attacks against embassies and diplomats constitute a serious crime against the Vienna Convention. Iraqi authorities bear the responsibility of protecting diplomatic missions and diplomatic personnel," the Foreign Affairs Department press service writes.
According to information received by TT (Swedish press), large portions of the embassy area have been destroyed in the fire that was started in the embassy.
According to Reuters, the demonstrations were carried out by supporters of the Shia Muslim politician and militia leader, Muqtada al-Sadr. On images from the storming, placards are seen with pictures of Muqtada al-Sadr.
His supporters have reportedly also been behind several occupations of the Iraqi parliament during last summer.
Iraq's government condemns
Incidents condemned by Iraqi Foreign Ministry
"The Foreign Ministry strongly condemns the incident in which Sweden's embassy in Baghdad was set on fire," they say in a statement.
They also state that they will "carry out an emergency investigation and take the necessary security measures to expose the circumstances surrounding the incident and identify the perpetrators."
At the same time, Reuters is reporting that Iraq is threatening to withdraw diplomatic relations with Sweden if the Koran is burned again.
During the morning, Iraqi security forces entered the embassy and firemen reportedly struggled to extinguish the fire started by the demonstrators.
Most of the demonstrators had left the embassy during the morning, but some persons were still outside. According to Reuters, demonstrators reportedly threw stones at the security forces who were trying to disperse the crowd.
On the embassy website, they write that the embassy is closed to visitors till further notice. They write that it is "due to the demonstrations at Sweden's embassy on Thursday, 29 June, Friday, 30 June, and Thursday, 20 July."
Koran burning in Stockholm
The information on the storming comes after the Swedish police granted permission for a public gathering where a person intends to burn a Koran outside Iraq's embassy in Stockholm on Thursday.
In connection with the demonstration, comes the announcement that Iraq is breaking diplomatic contacts with Sweden. The country has ordered Sweden's ambassador to leave Iraq and is calling home its highest diplomat in Sweden, its chargé d'affairs.
According to Reuters, the violence at the embassy was reportedly preceded by supporters of the influential Shia preacher, Muqtada al-Sadr, urging protests via a Telegram-channel.
It was most recently on June 29 this year that the embassy was stormed, and personnel had to flee the building and find safety. Muqtada al-Sadr reportedly also urged his followers to go out and protest against a Koran burning in Stockholm.
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