Iraq Jails 18 Police Who Failed To Stop The Burning Of The Swedish Embassy

JAKARTA - An Iraqi court sentenced 18 police officers to prison, after they were found guilty of failing to prevent protesters from burning down the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad in July over a plan to burn the Koran in Stockholm.

A court in Baghdad handed down sentences ranging from 18 months to three years on Tuesday, according to a copy of the verdict obtained by Reuters as reported September 14 and confirmed by two Interior Ministry officials.

It said the officers were punished for "not carrying out their duties to protect the Swedish Embassy and stop the people who stormed and burned it".

However, the officers can appeal the verdict and sentence imposed, the document said.

A source in the Iraqi government confirmed the prison sentence, saying the verdict shows Iraq is committed to holding people accountable for the violence that occurred.

It is known that hundreds of protesters stormed the Swedish Embassy in Baghdad in July, setting it on fire because of plans to burn the Koran in Stockholm.

The arson outraged Muslim countries around the world, sparking weeks of protests in Iraq and a diplomatic row between Baghdad and Stockholm that led Iraq to expel the Swedish ambassador and recall its representative in Stockholm.