Swedish PM says outsiders are using country’s freedoms to spread hate

The Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, has accused outsiders of exploiting the country’s freedom of expression laws and using them as “a stage for spreading hateful messages”, after a diplomatic crisis erupted over Qur’an burning protests.

There have been a string of protests in Sweden and Denmark in recent weeks at which copies of the Qur’an were burned or otherwise damaged, prompting outrage in Muslim countries and demands that the Nordic governments put a stop to the burnings.

Both countries said they were examining ways to legally limit such acts in a bid to de-escalate tensions.

Speaking in Stockholm on Tuesday, hours after two Iraqi men, who have taken part in previous such protests, were permitted to set fire to a Qur’an outside the Swedish parliament, Kristersson said such acts were “dragging Sweden into international conflicts”.

Read more: The Guardian (UK)