Iraq asks Sweden to extradite Quran burner

AFP | Stockholm

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Baghdad has asked Sweden to extradite Iraqi refugee Salwan Momika, who stoked international outrage by desecrating the Quran, he and his lawyer told AFP on Tuesday.

"Iraq wants him extradited because he burnt a Quran outside the mosque (in Stockholm) in June," lawyer David Hall told AFP after Swedish police questioned Momika in connection with the extradition request.

"To be extradited to another country, the law (in Sweden) dictates that the crime has to be a crime in both Sweden and Iraq," Hall said.

Burning Islam's holy book "is not a crime in Sweden, so it's not possible for Sweden to extradite him."

The Swedish government has condemned the desecrations of the Quran but upheld the country's laws regarding freedom of speech and assembly.

"I don't understand why they (Iraq) bother with such a demand. I'm sure the Iraqi government understands this," Hall added.

Momika told AFP that Iraq was seeking his extradition "so that I can be judged and held accountable in Iraq according to Islamic laws."

"I will file a complaint against Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein because he committed a political crime against me," he added.

Momika has burned Qurans at a slew of protests in Sweden since June, sparking widespread outrage and condemnation in Muslim countries.

Iraqi protesters stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad twice in July, starting fires within the compound on the second occasion.

Sweden's intelligence agency heightened its terror alert level in mid-August to four on a scale of five after the angry reactions made the country a "prioritised target".

The Swedish government is exploring legal means of stopping protests involving the burning of holy texts in certain circumstances, but it is not certain there will be a majority for a change of legislation.

Hall said Momika's extradition case would likely go as high as the Swedish Supreme Court and a decision "could take several weeks or a few months."