Salwan Momika was set to stand trial over hate incitement charges on Thursday.
The anti-Islam activist who sparked outrage and riots in Muslim-majority countries over his repeated Quran burnings in 2023 in Sweden, was killed on late Wednesday evening at his home, local media reported.
Salwan Momika was set to stand trial over hate incitement charges on Thursday. A judge at the Stockholm District Court, Göran Lundahl, confirmed that the verdict was postponed to Feb. 3 because one of the defendants had died.
“I am next,” wrote another defendant, Salwan Najem, in a post on X.
The prosecutor assigned to the case said that five people were arrested in relation to the killing.Swedish outlet SVT reported that the murder had taken place while Momika was livestreaming on TikTok, but POLITICO could not independently verify this and the police did not confirm this version of events.
Momika, an Iraqi refugee who arrived in Sweden in 2021, angered thousands of Muslims in Sweden and abroad during his numerous anti-Islam protests where he burned the Quran. Momika argued that his protests targeted the religion of Islam, not Muslim people. Swedish police had allowed his demonstrations, citing his right to freedom of speech.
Burning the Quran is extremely offensive to Muslims, as the holy book is considered the word of God.
A spate of Quran-burnings were held between 2022 and 2024 by multiple anti-Islam activists across Denmark and Sweden, briefly jeopardizing the latter’s bid to join NATO. Sweden finally joined the defense alliance last January.
