Quran-burning refugee Salwan Momika fatally shot in Sweden apartment

Wednesday, February 5, 2025

On January 30, Swedish police reported that a man was shot in his apartment in Södertälje, Stockholm, Sweden, overnight and transported to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Authorities later identified the victim as 38-year-old Iraqi refugee Salwan Momika, who had been living in Sweden.

Momika’s death remained under investigation. Stockholm police issued a statement saying five people were apprehended in connection to the shooting. In addition, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated that Sweden’s security services provided support for the investigation because of “a risk that there were links to foreign powers.”

Tensions flared after Momika’s burning of a Quran in 2023 in front of the Stockholm Mosque as a form of protest, according to the BBC. This occurred on what is considered to be a holy day in Islamic culture.

The BBC reported that Momika had been charged with “agitation against an ethnic group” on four separate occasions in 2023. The Swedish government gave him permission to peacefully protest as he was in compliance with the country’s free speech laws. The government later committed to seeking legal avenues to prohibit demonstrations that include burning texts under specific conditions.

Momika was killed just hours before a court was to deliver a verdict on the case. He was scheduled to appear in court to receive the verdict on January 30.

Local media told the news source Reuters that Momika was live-streaming on TikTok at the time of the shooting.