Two brothers jailed for arson attack on Swedish artist's house

STOCKHOLM: Two brothers were remanded in custody Tuesday on suspicion of an arson attack on the home of Swedish artist Lars Vilks who faced death threats for drawing the Prophet Mohammed.

A judicial source confirmed that  the brothers, aged 19 and 21, were arrested at the weekend after a small fire slightly damaged Vilks’ home in the southern Swedish village of Nyhamnslaege.

The brothers, whose names were not disclosed, are Swedish nationals of Kosovar origin, who reside in the southern city of Landskrona and who were arrested after personal items were found near the scene, police said.

Only last week, Vilks was attacked by around 20 people while giving a lecture at the Uppsala University, north of Stockholm.

Despite the repeated attacks and threats, the 63-year-old artist has  refused to keep a low profile, to move or even to keep his address secret.