A man who ignited widespread protests after burning the Quran has been fatally shot in Sweden. Salwan Momika was found dead in an apartment located in Södertälje, a suburb of Stockholm, on Wednesday evening, as confirmed by prosecutors.
The unrest began in 2023 when Mr. Momika set fire to a copy of the Quran outside the Stockholm Central Mosque, leading to significant outrage across various Muslim-majority nations. Following this incident, Stockholm police reported that five individuals had been arrested in connection with the shooting of a man in his 40s, who died overnight.
Details of the shooting incident
Authorities responded to a suspected shooting at an apartment in Hovsjö at approximately 11:11 PM local time (10:11 PM GMT) on Wednesday. Upon arrival, officers discovered a man with gunshot wounds, who was subsequently transported to a hospital. Unfortunately, he succumbed to his injuries by Thursday morning.
Local media outlets indicated that Mr. Momika had been livestreaming on social media around the time of the shooting, although further details remain unclear. Originally from Iraq and residing in Sweden, Mr. Momika faced charges in August related to “agitation against an ethnic group” stemming from incidents during the summer of 2023. The verdict on these charges was initially scheduled for Thursday but was postponed following the confirmation of one defendant’s death, as reported by the Stockholm District Court.
Government response and implications
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated that the nation’s security services are involved in the investigation. He noted the potential for links to foreign powers, as reported by SVT. Mr. Momika’s protests, which were anti-Islam in nature, have led to diplomatic tensions, including unrest at the Swedish embassy in Baghdad. This situation escalated to the point where the Swedish ambassador was expelled amid the diplomatic fallout.
Despite the contentious nature of his protests, Swedish police had granted Mr. Momika permission to proceed with the demonstration that included the Quran burning, adhering to the country’s principles of free speech. In light of the recent events, the Swedish government has expressed intentions to examine legal avenues to potentially restrict protests involving the burning of religious texts under specific circumstances.
“The verdict, due to be delivered on Thursday, was postponed after it was confirmed that one of the defendants had died,” Stockholm District Court said.