Sweden is facing a disinformation campaign by “Russia-backed actors” aimed at damaging its reputation as a NATO-candidate country, according to the Minister for Civil Defence. The campaign seeks to imply that Sweden supported recent burnings of the Koran, which have incited anger among Muslims worldwide. At a press conference, Minister Carl-Oskar Bohlin stated that the disinformation campaign was supported by state and state-like actors, who are spreading incorrect statements about the Swedish state’s involvement in the desecration of holy scriptures. He emphasized that these claims were completely false and were intended to divide and weaken Sweden on the international stage.
No response from the Russian embassy in Stockholm was immediately available regarding the Minister’s remarks. Mikael Ostlund, spokesperson for Sweden’s Psychological Defence Agency, explained that Russia was exploiting these incidents to promote its own agenda and sow division within Sweden and the West. He highlighted Russia’s desire to complicate Sweden’s accession to NATO as one of their motives.
In an earlier statement, Foreign Minister Tobias Billstrom condemned the burning of holy texts as offensive and disrespectful, affirming that expressions of racism and intolerance had no place in Sweden or Europe. The burning of the Koran has sparked outrage among Muslims, leading to the storming and vandalism of the Swedish embassy in Baghdad. Although Denmark and Sweden deplore the burning, they maintain that they cannot prevent it due to protections of free speech. Turkey, which holds veto power over Sweden’s NATO membership, has called on Stockholm to take action against the perpetrators.
Furthermore, Sweden’s security service, SAPO, has warned that the recent controversy over freedom of speech has worsened the country’s security situation. Susanna Trehorning, Deputy Head of the Counter-Terrorism and Counter-Subversion Unit, expressed concern about Sweden’s changing image, stating that it has shifted from being seen as a tolerant country to being perceived as anti-Muslim in many parts of the Muslim world. Nevertheless, Sweden’s security-alert level remains at 3 on a scale of 5, indicating a “heightened risk”.
Reporting by Simon Johnson and Johan Ahlander, Editing by William Maclean
Credit: The Star : News Feed
