Salwan Momika, Iraqi Christian Who Burned the Koran in 2023 in Sweden, Shot Dead
Salwan Momika, the Iraqi Christian who sparked global controversy by burning the Koran in Sweden, was shot dead in his apartment building in Södertälje, south of Stockholm, late Wednesday.
Swedish prosecutors confirmed his killing and announced that five people had been arrested in connection with the incident.
“We’re in the very early stages … there’s a lot of information gathering,” prosecutor Rasmus Oman told AFP, adding that an investigation had been launched into the 38-year-old’s murder.
Momika had been due to appear in court on Thursday, facing charges of inciting ethnic hatred over multiple Koran-burning protests in 2023. However, the court postponed its ruling following his death.
According to local reports, the attacker may have gained access to the building through the roof, and the shooting was possibly streamed live on social media.
Also Read: Explainer: What constitutes blasphemy in Nigeria and what does the law say?
Momika’s protests had strained Sweden’s ties with several Muslim-majority nations, particularly Iraq, where protesters stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad twice in July 2023. Amid growing threats, Sweden’s intelligence service raised the country’s terror threat level to four out of five.
Despite defending his actions as a form of free speech, Momika maintained he did not intend to harm Sweden. “I don’t want to harm this country that received me and preserved my dignity,” he told Aftonbladet in 2023.
His residency permit was revoked in October 2023, but he remained in Sweden due to deportation complications. In March 2024, he sought asylum in Norway but was deported back to Sweden weeks later.
