STOCKHOLM: Sweden’s intelligence agency heightened its terror alert level Thursday to four on a scale of five after angry reactions in the Muslim world to Qur'an burnings in Sweden made the country a “prioritized target.”
The level was increased from “elevated,” where it had been since 2016, to “high,” the head of the Swedish Security Police Charlotte von Essen told reporters.
“The reason for this decision is the deteriorated situation with regard to attack threats to Sweden, and the assessment that the threat will remain for a long time,” she said.
Von Essen stressed that the decision to raise the threat level was not based on a “single incident,” but rather a “collective assessment.”
Sweden has, like neighboring Denmark, has in recent months seen a spate of public desecrations of the Qur'an, including burnings, which have sparked 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.
The Jeddah-based Organization of Islamic Cooperation has also voiced “disappointment” with Sweden and Denmark for not taking action following the spate of burnings.
Last week, a Molotov cocktail was thrown at the Swedish embassy in Beirut though it did not explode, and at the weekend Al-Qaeda called for attacks against the Scandinavian country.
The protests led Sweden to beef up border controls since August 1.
Several Western countries have recently updated their travel adviseries for Sweden.
The United States on July 26 urged its nationals to “exercise increased caution in Sweden due to terrorism.”
And on Sunday, Britain’s Foreign Office said “terrorists are very likely to try and carry out attacks in Sweden,” and added “authorities in Sweden have successfully disrupted a number of planned attacks and made a number of arrests.”
Swedish authorities have however refused to comment on whether any attacks had been foiled or arrests made.
The country has condemned the desecrations of the Qur'an but upheld its laws regarding freedom of speech and assembly.
The government has vowed to explore legal means of stopping protests involving the burning of holy texts in certain circumstances, though a majority appear to be opposed to a such a change.
Sweden heightens terror alert after Qur’an burnings
https://arab.news/zvhfn
Sweden heightens terror alert after Qur’an burnings
- Level was increased from ‘elevated threat,’ where it had been since 2016, to ‘high threat’
Kyrgyzstan parliament speaker resigns after spy chief sacking
- Japarov is seeking re-election next year in a country that was once a regional leader in terms of openness
BISHKEK: Kyrgyzstan’s parliament speaker said Thursday he would step down, two days after President Sadyr Japarov dismissed the Central Asian country’s powerful secret service chief and arrested political figures who called for early elections.
In a surprise move, Japarov had sacked his one-time close ally — spy chief Kamchybek Tashiev — in a decision Bishkek said was meant to “prevent division in society.”
Japarov is seeking re-election next year in a country that was once a regional leader in terms of openness, though marked by political volatility.
Rights groups have accused him of authoritarian tendencies, as he seeks to assert his control and cast himself as a bringer of stability.
Speaker Nurlanbek Turgunbek uulu — close to the sacked security boss — told MPs he would step down, insisting that he was not resigning under pressure.
“Reforms initiated by the president must be carried out. Political stability is indispensable,” he said.
Kyrgyzstan has in recent years been de-facto governed by the Japarov-Tashiev tandem.
Both came to power in the wake of the 2020 revolution — the third since Bishkek gained independence from the Soviet Union in 1991.
Several NGOs have in recent months denounced the deterioration of freedom of expression in Kyrgyzstan.
Japarov had unexpectedly sacked Tashiev and three of his deputies on Tuesday, also weakening the powers of the secret services.
Japarov rarely speaks publicly. His spokesman had said the decision was taken “in the interests of the state, with the aim of preventing divisions within society, including between government structures, and to strengthen unity.”
Tashiev was in Germany for health treatment when the sacking was announced and had said it was a “total surprise” to him.
The decision came the day after the publication of an open letter from 75 political figures and ex-officials calling to bring forward presidential elections — scheduled for January 2027.
Five of those who signed the letter — which criticized the economic situation in the country — were arrested Wednesday on charges of organizing mass riots.
