Salwan Momika: The Quran-burning man was “shot dead in Sweden”

Salwan Momika, 38, was reportedly murdered in a Södertälje residence.

According to local media, a man was shot dead in Sweden after igniting violent riots after burning the Quran.

Salwan Momika, 38, was reportedly murdered on Wednesday night in an apartment in Södertälje, Stockholm.

In 2023, Mr. Momika burned a copy of the Islamic holy book outside the Stockholm Central Mosque, sparking unrest.

Following the overnight shooting death of a man in his 40s, Stockholm police confirmed in a statement that five people had been taken into custody.

Officers were alerted to a suspected gunshot at a Hovsjö flat on Wednesday at approximately 23:11 local time (22:11 GMT).

After being discovered with gunshot wounds, the man—whom the police have not named—was transported to the hospital. On Thursday morning, the force declared him dead.

Around the time of his shooting, Mr. Momika was livestreaming on social media, according to local media.

In August, Mr. Momika, an Iraqi residing in Sweden, was charged with four counts of “agitation against an ethnic group” during the summer of 2023.

The verdict was scheduled to be given on Thursday, but the Stockholm District Court said it was “confirmed that one of the defendants had died” and therefore postponed.

Sweden’s security agencies were involved in the probe because there was “obviously a risk that there were links to foreign powers,” according to Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, according to SVT.

Many nations with a majority of Muslims were outraged by Mr. Momika’s anti-Islamic demonstrations.

Two incidents of unrest occurred in the Swedish embassy in Baghdad, and a diplomatic dispute resulted in the expulsion of the Swedish ambassador from the city.

According to Sweden’s free-speech regulations, Mr. Momika was authorized by the police to carry out the protest in which he set fire to the holy book.

Later, the administration promised to look into legal ways to end rallies that, under specific conditions, involve burning texts.