STOCKHOLM (CHATNEWSTV) — An Iraqi man who carried out multiple Quran burnings in Sweden was shot and killed near Stockholm, authorities said Thursday.
Salwan Momika, 38, gained global attention in 2023 after staging several desecrations of Islam’s holy book, sparking widespread condemnation and unrest in multiple Muslim-majority nations.
The Stockholm District Court confirmed that a verdict in a trial where Momika was a defendant was postponed due to his death. Judge Göran Lundahl identified Momika as the deceased but provided no details on the circumstances of his killing.
Police responded to a shooting late Wednesday in Sodertalje, a suburb of Stockholm, where they found a man with gunshot wounds. The victim later died. Swedish broadcaster SVT reported that the victim was Momika.
Prosecutors said five people were arrested overnight on suspicion of murder. “The investigation is in its early stages, and we still need to question the suspects and other individuals,” prosecutor Rasmus Öman said.
Momika, who arrived in Sweden from Iraq in 2018, was granted a three-year residence permit in 2021, according to SVT.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said the country’s security service is involved in the investigation. “There is obviously a risk that there is a connection to a foreign power,” he told Swedish news agency TT.
Momika maintained that his protests were against Islam as a religion, not Muslim individuals. He claimed his goal was to protect Sweden’s population from the Quran’s messages. While Swedish police permitted his demonstrations under free speech laws, he faced legal action for his actions.
In March, he was arrested in Norway after announcing plans to seek asylum there. He was deported back to Sweden, TT reported.
Momika and a co-defendant faced charges of incitement to hatred for remarks made during Quran-burning protests. A verdict in the case was expected Thursday morning.
