Swedish authorities reported Thursday that Salwan Momika, a 38-year-old Iraqi man who performed several Quran desecrations in Sweden during 2023, died in a shooting near Stockholm.
Momika’s actions, widely publicized through videos, sparked significant international outrage and unrest in numerous countries.
The Stockholm District Court announced the postponement of Momika’s trial verdict, scheduled for Thursday, due to the defendant’s death. Judge Göran Lundahl confirmed Momika’s death but offered no details regarding the circumstances.
Police responded to a shooting at a Sodertalje apartment building on Wednesday night, discovering a fatally wounded man later identified as Momika.
Broadcaster SVT also reported Momika as the victim.
Five adult suspects were apprehended overnight on murder charges; however, prosecutor Rasmus Öman stated that the investigation is ongoing and further questioning of suspects and others is necessary.
According to SVT, Momika arrived in Sweden from Iraq in 2018 and received a three-year residency permit in 2021.
Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson cited the involvement of Sweden’s security service due to potential links to foreign powers, as reported by Swedish news agency TT.
Momika maintained that his protests targeted Islam, not Muslims, claiming he sought to protect Sweden from the Quran’s message. Despite filing charges against him, Swedish police permitted his demonstrations, citing freedom of speech.
TT reported that he was arrested in Norway last March after seeking asylum there, subsequently being returned to Sweden.
Momika and a co-defendant faced charges of incitement to hatred in August, stemming from statements made in connection with the Quran burnings. The verdict was to be delivered Thursday morning.