Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson claimed a "foreign power" was behind the murder of Salwan Momika, the Iraqi refugee who burnt the Quran during protests in 2023. 

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"I can guarantee that the security services are deeply involved in this because there is obviously a risk that there is also a link to a foreign power," the PM said in a press conference, AFP reported. 

Also read: Killing of Salwan Momika, man who burnt Quran, broadcast live on social media, suggest reports

Momika, a Christian from Iraq, spiked international tensions in 2023 by staging the Quran burnings. He was shot just hours before a court verdict in his trial in the case that charged him with "agitation against an ethnic group".

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'I'm next on the list'

An investigation has been launched into the murder, and five people have been arrested so far after Momika was shot on Thursday (Jan 30) and was declared dead in the hospital. 

Also read: Claim vs Truth? Is Iraqi refugee and Islam critic Salwan Momika really dead in Norway?

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"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," Prosecutor Rasmus Oman told AFP. 

Several media outlets further claimed the shooting may have been broadcast live on social media.

Salwan Najem, a fellow protester who took part in the Quran burning, is also facing the trial. After the murder of Momika, Najem took to the social media platform X and said, "I'm next on the list."

Also read: Iraq gives religious authorities power to govern marriage laws, potentially paving way for underage marriage

'Did not want to...'

The Swedish Migration Agency had decided to expel Momika after his act in 2023, but due to the threat against him in Iraq, the decision was not implemented. 

Also read: Iraqi PM urges US President-elect Donald Trump to work towards ending wars in West Asia

Speaking to Aftonbladet in 2023, Momika had said he did not want to harm Sweden, a country that "received" him and "preserved" his dignity. 

(With inputs from agencies)