Danish group burns copy of Quran in front of Iraq embassy in Copenhagen

Two protesters set fire to a copy of the Quran, Islam's holy book, in front of the Iraqi embassy in the Danish capital on Monday, risking a further deterioration of relations between the two countries.

The two protesters were from a group that calls itself "Danish Patriots", which held a similar demonstration last week and live-streamed the events on Facebook, Reuters reports.

The organiser of Monday's demonstration in Copenhagen stomped on the Koran and set it alight in a tin foil tray next to the Iraqi flag on the ground.

Following the latest incident, Iraq condemned the burning, the state news agency INA cited the foreign ministry as saying.

The ministry called on the authorities of countries in the European Union to "quickly reconsider so-called freedom of expression and the right to demonstrate," INA added.

Several thousand Iraqis demonstrated in Baghdad on Saturday over the burnings in the two Nordic countries, in a gathering called by ruling Iraqi parties and armed groups, many close to Iran.

Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Saturday that people who desecrate the Quran should face the "most severe punishment".