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The Koran, the holy book of Islam
Photo: IMAGO/berkay / IMAGO/YAY Images
In a rare move, Swedish police have banned a protest outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm that was set to burn another Koran.
A similar action in January "intensified the threats against both Swedish society in general, but also against Sweden, Swedish interests abroad and Sweden abroad," the police justified on Wednesday for their refusal to grant a demonstration permit.
Sweden has become a "higher priority target for attacks," police said.
The Swedish secret service Säpo warned on Wednesday of the increased risk of a terrorist attack in Sweden.
The small and little-known Swedish organization Apallarkerna asked for permission to hold the demonstration.
The planned protest was directed against Sweden's plans to join NATO.
As in an action by the right-wing extremist provocateur Rasmus Paludan in January, a Koran was to be burned in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm.
Turkey and Hungary block Sweden's NATO membership
Ankara has been blocking Sweden's efforts to join NATO for months.
The Turkish government is demanding that Stockholm take a harder line on Kurdish activists it considers "terrorists."
In addition to Turkey, Hungary has yet to agree to NATO expansion.
Like Finland, Sweden had applied for accession as a result of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine - both countries thereby breaking with a long tradition of extensive military neutrality.
Paludan's burning of the Koran sparked anti-Swedish protests in numerous Muslim countries.
Negotiations between Sweden and Turkey on NATO membership have since been suspended.
jso/AFP/dpa
