CAIRO – 30 January 2025: Swedish police have confirmed the killing of Salwan Momika, a Christian Iraqi refugee known for his repeated acts of burning and desecrating the Quran, which ignited widespread outrage in the Islamic world.
Local authorities reportedly confirmed that Momika was shot dead in his apartment in the Swedish capital.
Reports indicate that a gunman entered Momika's residence and opened fire, leading to his death. The police and judiciary are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Momika had been facing charges related to inciting hatred against an ethnic group, stemming from his protests earlier in the summer of 2023.
A Stockholm court, which was set to rule on Thursday whether Momika is guilty of inciting ethnic hatred, postponed the ruling until February 3, saying that “because Salwan Momika has died, more time is needed,” AFP reported.
In August 2023, he and co-protester Salwan Najem were charged with multiple counts of agitation against an ethnic group due to their controversial demonstrations.
These protests resulted in heightened tensions between Sweden and various Middle Eastern nations.
Notably, Iraqi protesters stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad twice in July 2023, setting fires within the compound during the second incident.
Amid tensions with Muslim countries due to the repeated Quran burnings in Europe, Denmark's parliament in December 2023 passed a law making it illegal to burn copies of the Quran in public places.
Meanwhile, a Swedish court in October 2023 convicted a 27-year-old man for inciting ethnic hatred related to a Quran burning incident from 2020, marking a significant moment as it was the first time such a charge had been brought in connection with desecrating Islam's holy book in the country's legal history.
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