Stockholm, Sweden - Three Swedish Muslims were charged on Wednesday with attacking an Iraqi election office and planning to attack a pro-Israel church, in the first indictment for an attack targeting Sweden under new anti-terrorism laws.
They are accused of planning a fire-bomb attack on a church called "The Word of Life" in Uppsala, but were arrested before it could be carried out. The independent church is led by a controversial preacher from the Charismatic movement.
Two are also accused of throwing fire-bombs at a voting office near Stockholm for last December's elections in Iraq. Letters sent to newspapers claimed responsibility on behalf of the al Qaeda network.
The three aged 19, 22 and 25 were arrested in January. Under rules guiding the Swedish media, their names were not published.
Prosecutor Tomas Lindstrand told news agency TT that in a video the men "talk about how to set fire to the building with petrol" and that they targeted the church for its "pro-Israel views". The church's own website says it puts emphasis "on Israel and the Jewish people" and has a Jerusalem study centre.
It is the second time a prosecution has been brought using anti-terrorism laws introduced in 2003 and is "the first time anyone has been indicted for terrorist crimes that would have happened in this country", Lindstrom said.
Two local Muslims were jailed last year for financing attacks by Islamic militants carried out in northern Iraq.
A 19-year-old Swedish citizen of Bosnian origin is being tried in Bosnia for planning suicide attacks on Western targets in Europe -- charges he denied on Wednesday.