Khamenei Demands the Handing Over of Those Who Burned the Quran to Islamic Judicial Systems

Iranian media reported that Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said today, Saturday, that those who commit the "crime of desecrating the Quran" must face the "harshest punishment" and called on Sweden to hand them over for trial in Islamic countries. Khamenei stated in a statement reported by the media, "All Muslim scholars agree that those who desecrate the Quran deserve the harshest punishment. It is the duty of that government (Sweden) to hand over the perpetrator to the judicial systems of Islamic countries." Protests erupted in Iran and Iraq after Sweden allowed the burning of a copy of the Quran under rules protecting freedom of expression. Iraqi protesters set fire to the Swedish embassy in Baghdad on Thursday. Swedish officials condemned these actions but stated that they could not prevent them. Iranian media reported that Khamenei demanded Sweden hand over those involved for trial in Islamic countries.