Salwan Momika, the man who sparked violent protests by burning the Quran outside a mosque in Stockholm, was shot dead in Södertälje. He had faced charges for inciting ethnic hatred through similar protests. His death followed diplomatic tensions, including protests at the Swedish embassy in Baghdad. The Swedish government had allowed his Quran-burning protest under free speech laws but later considered legal action to prevent such acts in the future.
Man Who Sparked Quran-Burning Protests Shot Dead in Sweden
A man who ignited violent protests after burning a Quran has been shot dead in Sweden, according to reports from local media.
Salwan Momika, 38, was killed in an apartment in Södertälje, Stockholm, on Wednesday evening.
The unrest began after Mr. Momika set fire to a copy of Islam's holy book outside Stockholm Central Mosque in 2023, leading to widespread outrage.
Stockholm police issued a statement confirming the arrest of five individuals following the fatal shooting of a man in his 40s overnight.
Local media reports indicated that Mr. Momika had been livestreaming on social media around the time of the shooting.
An Iraqi national living in Sweden, Mr. Momika faced charges in August alongside another individual for "agitation against an ethnic group" on four separate occasions during the summer of 2023.
The verdict, which was scheduled for Thursday, was delayed after it was confirmed that one of the defendants had passed away, according to Stockholm District Court.
Mr. Momika was known for organizing a series of anti-Islam protests that sparked outrage in several Muslim-majority countries.
Protests erupted outside the Swedish embassy in Baghdad on two occasions, and the Swedish ambassador was expelled from the city, further intensifying a diplomatic dispute.
The Swedish government had granted Mr. Momika permission for the protest in which he burned the Quran, citing the country's free-speech laws. However, it later vowed to explore legal avenues to ban protests that involve burning religious texts in certain circumstances.