5 people arrested in killing of Iraqi man who burned Quran in Sweden

FP Staff • January 30, 2025, 22:00:12 IST

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Salwan Momika, who came to Sweden in 2018, had argued that his protests targeted the religion of Islam, not Muslim people. He argued that he wanted to protect Sweden’s population from the messages of the Quran

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5 people arrested in killing of Iraqi man who burned Quran in Sweden

FILE - Salwan Momika speaks in Malmö, Sweden, Sept. 30, 2023. AP

Five people have been arrested in the fatal shooting of an Iraqi refugee who was responsible for burning the Quran in Sweden in 2023 sparking widespread riots across the country.

Salwan Momika, 38, was shot dead in a city near Stockholm on Thursday hours before he was due to appear in court for the verdict on the case of Quran burning. The Stockholm District Court said a verdict scheduled Thursday in a trial in which Momika was a defendant was postponed because one of the defendants had died.

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Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said that the attack on Momika could be “linked to a foreign power”. He said, “I can assure you that the security services are deeply involved because there is obviously a risk that there is a connection to a foreign power.”

Who was Momika?

Momika, who came to Sweden in 2018, had argued that his protests targeted the religion of Islam, not Muslim people. He argued that he wanted to protect Sweden’s population from the messages of the Quran. Swedish police allowed his demonstrations, citing freedom of speech, while filing charges against him.

Last March, he was arrested in neighboring Norway, after stating that he would seek asylum there, and was sent back to Sweden, TT reported.

Momika and a co-defendant were charged in August with incitement to hatred because of statements they made in connection with the Quran burnings. A verdict was supposed to be handed down on Thursday morning.

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With inputs from agencies

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