In a significant development, Swedish prosecutors have accused Iran’s intelligence service of orchestrating a hacking operation targeting an SMS operator in 2023. The alleged goal was to send messages inciting revenge against those who had burned the Quran, a deeply sensitive act in the Muslim world.
According to a statement released by Sweden’s Prosecution Authority, approximately 15,000 messages were sent during the summer of 2023, calling for retribution against individuals involved in the Quran burnings. The authority stated that the intent behind this campaign was to create divisions within Swedish society.
Sweden’s intelligence agency, Sapo, corroborated these findings in a separate statement, concluding that a hacker group operating on behalf of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard was responsible for this “influence campaign.” The objective, as outlined by Sapo’s chief of operations, Fredrik Hallstrom, was to portray Sweden as an Islamophobic nation.
The investigation, which was closed due to the unlikelihood of bringing the suspects to justice, identified a group called Anzu team as the perpetrators. Prosecutors emphasized that the nature of the crime, involving actors representing a foreign power, made extradition or international prosecution unlikely.
These accusations come amidst heightened tensions between Sweden and several Middle Eastern nations, stemming from a series of protests involving Quran burnings in 2023. These protests, occurring predominantly during the summer months, led Sweden’s intelligence service to raise its threat level to four on a scale of five, designating the country a “prioritised target.”
The protests also sparked angry reactions in Iraq, where protesters stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad twice in July 2023. The second attack involved setting fires within the embassy compound. While condemning the Quran desecrations, the Swedish government emphasized the country’s constitutional protection of freedom of speech and assembly.
The accusations against Iran highlight the growing use of cyberattacks as a tool for political influence and destabilization. This incident also underscores the complexities of managing freedom of expression in a globalized world, where actions in one country can have far-reaching consequences for international relations.
