( AP ) - Iran summoned a Swedish diplomat in Teheran on Monday to protest against a drawing of the Prophet Muhammad in a Swedish newspaper, Sweden's Foreign Ministry said.
The charge d'affaires at the Swedish embassy, Gunilla von Bahr, was summoned to Iran's Foreign Ministry over the drawing in the Nerikes Allehanda paper, ministry spokesman Claes Jernaeus said.
'They presented a verbal protest to the Swedish government over what they said was an insult to the Prophet Muhammad,' Mr Jernaeus said.
The newspaper on Aug 19 published one of a series of controversial drawings by Swedish artist Lars Vilks, depicting Muhammad's head on a dog's body. Several Swedish art galleries have refused to exhibit Vilks' drawings.
Mr Jernaeus said Sweden had no reason to comment on the Iranian protest, noting that the government cannot interfere with media freedom in the Scandinavian country.
Last year, violent protests broke out in Muslim countries after Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten published drawings of the Prophet Muhammad, including one that depicted him wearing a turban shaped as a bomb.