|
Salwan Momika, 38, staged several burnings and desecrations of
Islam's holy book in Sweden in 2023. Videos of the Quran
burnings got worldwide publicity and raised anger and criticism
in several Muslim nations, leading to riots and unrest in many
places.
The Stockholm District Court said a verdict scheduled Thursday
in a trial in which Momika was a defendant was postponed because
one of the defendants had died. A judge at the court, Göran
Lundahl, confirmed that the deceased was Momika. He said he
didn't have any information on when and how Momika died.
Police said they were alerted to a shooting Wednesday night at
an apartment building in Sodertalje, near Stockholm, and found a
man with gunshot wounds. He later died, and a preliminary murder
investigation was opened.
Broadcaster SVT reported, without naming sources, that the
victim was Momika. It said Momika came to Sweden from Iraq in
2018 and was granted a three-year residence permit in 2021.
Prosecutor Rasmus Öman told Swedish news agency TT that several
people had been arrested in the case. He did not elaborate.
Momika argued that his protests targeted the religion of Islam,
not Muslim people. He argued that he wanted to protect Sweden’s
population from the messages of the Quran. Swedish police
allowed his demonstrations, citing freedom of speech, while
filing charges against him.
Last March, he was arrested in neighboring Norway, after stating
that he would seek asylum there, and was sent back to Sweden, TT
reported.
Momika and a co-defendant were charged in August with incitement
to hatred because of statements they made in connection with the
Quran burnings. A verdict was supposed to be handed down on
Thursday morning.
All contents © copyright 2025 Associated Press. All rights
reserved |
|
