Salwan Momika, the Iraqi-born man who caused international outrage last year with his Quran desecration protests in Sweden, has reportedly been shot dead. His death comes just as a Stockholm court was set to deliver its ruling on his incitement case. Following the news of his killing, the court postponed proceedings, stating, “One of the defendants has died,” without naming him directly.
Momika became infamous in 2023 for organizing multiple Quran-burning protests, with the most controversial occurring outside Stockholm’s largest mosque during Eid celebrations. This act ignited protests across the Muslim world and led to heightened diplomatic tensions for Sweden with several Muslim-majority countries.
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Fleeing Iraq in 2018, Momika was granted Swedish residency in 2021, but after his controversial actions, Swedish authorities rejected his asylum application. He had recently relocated to Norway before his death.
Known for self-identifying as a “liberal atheist critic and thinker,” Momika defended his actions as exercises of free speech, though they drew severe criticism from religious leaders, human rights groups, and international organizations.
Swedish authorities have yet to release full details surrounding his killing, though an investigation is underway.
