Salwan Momika, a 39-year-old man identified as a Christian Iraqi refugee, on Thursday (Jan 30) was shot dead in Sweden. The man, who would repeatedly burn the Quran, was being tried for allegedly inciting ethnic hatred by burning the Muslim holy book at a slew of protests in 2023.
A Stockholm court was due to rule on Thursday, but postponed the ruling until February 3, saying "because Salwan Momika has died, more time is needed".
Also read | Man who burnt Quran in 2023 sparking huge protests shot dead in Sweden
Here's all you need to know about the Quran burning
On July 20, 2023, Momika stomped on the Muslim holy book Quran and set several pages alight outside a Stockholm mosque.
According to the Iraqi security official, the man was an Iraqi Christian and a former member of a Christian unit within the Popular Mobilisation Forces, a collection of predominantly Shiite militias incorporated into Iraq's armed forces in 2016.
The Quran burning coincided with the start of the holy Eid al-Adha holiday and also the end of the annual Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia. It triggered widespread anger globally, especially in Muslim-dominated nations like Pakistan, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.
Reports at the time suggested that, in line with free speech protections, Momika was granted permission to protest by the Swedish police following a court order. However, later, noting that the man had burnt pages from the Islamic holy book very close to the mosque, Swedish authorities said they had opened an investigation into "agitation against an ethnic group".
Who killed Salwan Momika?
The local police, in a statement, said they had been alerted to a shooting in the city of Sodertalje, where Momika lived.
As per reports, the shooting incident happened indoors and when the police arrived at the scene they found a man, later identified as Momika, the man who burnt Quran in 2023, "hit by shots".
He was taken to the hospital. However, a later update said that the man had died, and a murder investigation had been opened.
Media reports suggest that the murder may have been broadcast live on social media.
(With inputs from agencies)