The Swedish security agency Sapo has accused Iranian intelligence of hacking into a text messaging service and sending 15,000 messages to Swedish citizens.
Sapo said the data breach, which occurred last summer, was linked to SMS messages sent by several anti-Islam activists demanding “revenge on those who burned the Quran,” the Islamic holy book.
A preliminary investigation led by prosecutors has revealed that a cyber group called Anzu, acting on behalf of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), has been trying to foment social divisions and brand Sweden an Islamophobic state.
The Swedish government condemned the burning of the Koran and police tried to ban it, but the courts allowed it under freedom of expression laws.
The incident sparked outrage in several Muslim-majority countries, and the Swedish embassy in Iraq was torched by protesters.
Last month, Swedish prosecutors charged an Iraqi activist and an accomplice with inciting ethnic groups in connection with the book burning. Both men deny wrongdoing.
The Anju Group allegedly hacked into the Swedish company’s SMS service in late July 2023, stealing passwords, usernames and other tools before sending messages to individuals on August 1 saying, “Those who insult the Quran should be punished for their actions.”
Sapo’s Fredrik Hallström told the Dagens Nyheter website that several people involved in the operation had links to the Revolutionary Guard and that the text messages had had some success in fanning the flames of threats against Sweden.
Prosecutor Mats Ljungqvist said investigators had managed to identify the Iranian hackers but there was no way to extradite them and preliminary investigations were on hold.
Security agencies have warned that foreign powers such as Iran are using the opportunity to foment division and strengthen their own regimes.
Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer said in a statement that it was very serious that a state actor like Iran was “trying to destabilize Sweden or deepen polarization in our country.”
This is not the first time that the Swedish security services have accused the Iranian government of carrying out hostilities on its territory.
Sapo said in May last year that Tehran had used Swedish criminal organizations to carry out acts of violence against other countries, groups or individuals in Sweden that Iran viewed as a threat.
It identified Iran, along with Russia and China, as: The biggest security threat to Sweden.
