Iraqi Man Involved in Quran Burnings in Sweden Shot Dead Before Court Verdict
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Salwan Momika, an Iraqi man who had been involved in several Quran burnings in Sweden, was shot dead in his apartment in Södertälje, near Stockholm, on Wednesday night. The police were alerted to the shooting and found Momika, who had been livestreaming the incident at the time of his death. Five individuals have been arrested in connection with the shooting.Momika had been facing charges of "agitation against an ethnic group" due to his repeated acts of Quran desecration. A court was scheduled to rule on his case on Thursday, January 30, 2025, but the verdict has been postponed until February 3, 2025, due to his death.Momika's actions, including the desecrations, led to significant tension between Sweden and several Middle Eastern countries. Protesters in Iraq stormed the Swedish embassy twice in 2023, and the Swedish ambassador was expelled from Baghdad. The Swedish government defended Momika's actions under the country's free speech protections but announced a review of laws governing such protests.