Muqtada al-Sadr supports officers convicted in the Swedish embassy attack case

Shafaq News / On Wednesday, prominent Iraqi Shia leader Muqtada al-Sadr strongly denounced the dismissal and imprisonment of several security force officers in connection with the protesters' incursion into the Swedish embassy in Baghdad. The protest was in response to the Quran burning incident involving Swedish citizen of Iraqi origin, Salwan Momika, which occurred in Stockholm last July.

Muqtada al-Sadr's comments came in response to a public referendum conducted among the families of the penalized officers who were criticized for their inability to contain the situation during the protest at the Swedish embassy.

In his response, al-Sadr commended the officers' stance and remarked, "It comes as no surprise that these (Abbasid) authorities imposed such penalties, as they lack any genuine commitment to the Quran or faith. Their interests lie solely in positions, banquets, and wealth."

Silwan Momika, who hails from the Christian minority in Iraq’s Nineveh Governorate, sought refuge in Sweden after facing accusations of war crimes related to his association with Christian factions linked to the Popular Mobilization Forces. His recent actions, including the desecration of the Holy Quran, provoked widespread condemnation in Iraq, with calls for the Iraqi government to engage with Sweden for his extradition and trial under Iraqi law.