Quran Burner Shot Dead in Sweden

Prosecutor Rasmus Oman confirmed that an investigation was opened into the murder of 38-year-old Salwan Momika.

"We're in the very early stages ... there's a lot of information gathering. Five people have been detained suspected of involvement in the crime," he said.

A Stockholm court had been due to rule yesterday whether Momika, a Christian Iraqi, was guilty of inciting ethnic hatred but said it had postponed its ruling until Feb. 3 as a result of his death.

Police responded late on Jan. 29 to a call about a shooting in an apartment building in the city of Sodertalje, where Momika lived.

They found a man who had been "hit by shots and the man was taken to hospital,” a police statement said, adding that he later died.

Several media outlets reported that the shooting may have been broadcast live on social media.

Tabloid Aftonbladet said the attacker was able to gain entry into the building through the roof.

In August 2023, Momika along with co-protester Salwan Najem, was charged with "agitation against an ethnic group" on four occasions.

Relations between Sweden and several Middle Eastern countries were strained by the pair's protests.

Iraqi protesters stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad twice in July 2023, starting fires within the compound on the second occasion.

In August of that year, Sweden's intelligence service Sapo raised its threat level to four on a scale of five after the Quran burnings had made the country a "prioritized target.”

Source: HDN