Iraqi Man Who Burned Quran In Sweden Shot Dead

Salwan Momika, reportedly live-streaming at the time, was fatally attacked around 11 pm, leading to the arrest of five individuals in connection with the murder.

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A man of Iraqi genesis, who sparked outrage across the globe in 2023 by combusting copies of the Quran, was gunned down inside his house in Hovsjo in Sodertalje on Wednesday in Sweden, authorities confirmed.

The victim was recognised as Salwan Momika, an Iraqi activist and refugee who, with fellow protester Salwan Najem, had been under prosecution in hate crime charges.

The Stockholm district court was postponed to declare its verdict on Thursday, just hours after the shooting on Wednesday.

The attack happened at around 11pm, with reports mentioned Momika was live-streaming at the time. Police have arrested five individuals in connection with the murder but have not released the victim’s identity or information about his injuries. The court, however, scheduled its verdict, citing the defendant’s murder.

Momika and Najem’s demonstration in 2023, which included burning the Quran in Sweden and making inflammatory signs, intensified widespread criticism, especially from Muslim-majority countries.

The outrage led to violent protest, including a strike on the Swedish embassy in Baghdad.

The Swedish government criticised the Quran burning while maintaining its stance on freedom of speech laws. In response to rising security threats, Sweden’s intelligence agency increased the terror alert level to four out of five.

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