Quran burnings have driven Sweden’s terror threat to ‘high’ – so how should they and Denmark deal with the crisis?

Facing a diplomatic backlash from Muslim-majority nations and warnings of violence from jihadist groups, Sweden and Denmark must tread carefully given how deeply freedom-of-speech traditions are embedded in public life. Jakob Illeborg reports from Copenhagen

Protesters burn a Swedish flag during a protest in Karachi, Pakistan, in July (AP)

We know that planned terrorist acts have been prevented,” said the Swedish prime minister, Ulf Kristersson, as the country raised its terror threat level to “high” this week. He warned the public to be vigilant as Sweden and its neighbour Denmark face a violent backlash in parts of the Islamic world over the burning of the Quran in public protests.

Raising the threat level from three, meaning “heightened threat”, to four, “high threat” – the second-highest level – for the first time since 2016, the Swedish security service (Sapo) said that in recent months Sweden had shifted from a “legitimate” to a “prioritised” target for acts of terror. The country is becoming an “increased focus” for Islamist extremists, the head of Sapo – Charlotte von Essen – said, adding that the move was not linked to one particular incident.

Both Denmark and Sweden are tightening security on their borders while accusing Russia of deliberately stoking the fire with disinformation campaigns in the wake of protests abroad over Quran burnings in Scandinavian cities.