‘Pro-Putin journalist’ paid for Koran-burning stunt in Sweden

There are suspicions that the protest, carried out in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm, may have been done at the behest of the Kremlin.

Right-wing politician Rasmus Paludan burning the Koran in Stockholm after a speech in which he attacked Islam. Picture: Getty Images/The Times

A Koran-burning stunt which could jeopardise Sweden’s attempt to join NATO was organised by a far-right journalist with links to a Kremlin-backed television channel, it has emerged.

Chang Frick paid 320 Swedish krona (about $44) for a permit to hold the demonstration near Turkey’s embassy in Stockholm, according to local media.

Frick, a former contributor to Russia Today, owns a ring-wing populist website and is a presenter on the television channel of the Sweden Democrats, a nationalist political party.

Swedish television reported that Frick had asked a nationalist website “to put him in touch with someone who could burn the Koran”.

Frick, 39, has been pictured on social media wearing a T-shirt with an image of Vladimir Putin. There are suspicions that he may have organised the stunt on Saturday at the behest of the Kremlin. Moscow denies involvement.

The protest in front of the embassy was carried out by Rasmus Paludan, a right-wing Swedish-Danish politician and anti-Islam extremist.

In an hour-long speech, Paludan attacked Islam and immigration in Sweden, and then set fire to the Koran. “If you don’t think there should be freedom of expression, you have to live somewhere else,” he told the crowd.

Paludan later confirmed to the media that he had travelled to Stockholm specifically for the protest and that the idea to burn the Koran was proposed by Frick. Henrik Vinge, deputy leader of the Sweden Democrats, told local media that the party was not involved in Paludan’s stunt.

After the incident, Turkey cancelled a visit to Ankara by Pal Janson, the Swedish defence minister, and threatened to block the country’s NATO accession.

“It is clear that those who allowed such vileness to take place in front of our embassy can no longer expect any charity from us regarding their NATO membership application,” President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said on Monday.

A Swedish flag was burnt in Afghanistan in response to the protest in Stockholm. Picture: AFP/The Times

Ibrahim Kalin, a spokesman for Erdogan, said that allowing the protest was “encouraging hate crimes and Islamophobia”.

“The attack on sacred values is not freedom but modern barbarism,” he tweeted.

In April, Paludan’s announcement of a Koran-burning “tour” during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan caused riots across Sweden.

Paludan told Swedish media that it was Frick who had paid for the Stockholm stunt and promised to recompense him for any expenses.

Frick confirmed paying for Paludan but claimed he did not believe that the protest had jeopardised Sweden’s NATO application.

“If I, by paying 320 krona in an administrative fee to the police, sabotaged the application, it was probably on very shaky ground from the beginning,” he told Swedish media.

In an interview with the New York Times in 2019 he denied working for Russia but flashed a wad of roubles and laughed, saying: “Here is my real boss! It’s Putin!”

Frick confirmed in an interview this week with the Russian news website The Insider that he had paid for the permit to hold the protest, but denied he had asked anyone to burn the religious text.

“There was no such intention, it wasn’t my idea,” he was reported as saying.

Asked about his ties to RT and Russia, Frick said he has not worked with the channel since 2014 and has not supported Russia’s position since the annexation of Crimea.

Frick dismissed suggestions Ankara could veto Sweden’s entry, predicting it would go ahead regardless.

“Turkey has a lot of problems – inflation, poverty. They’re using all this to distract attention,” he told The Insider.

The Times