Salwan Momika, the man who ignited violent protests after burning a copy of the Quran, has been shot dead in Sweden, according to prosecutors.

Momika was killed in an apartment in Södertälje, Stockholm, on Wednesday evening. His controversial act in 2023—setting fire to Islam’s holy book outside Stockholm Central Mosque—sparked widespread unrest.

Shooting Incident in Stockholm

Stockholm police confirmed that five people were arrested following the fatal shooting of a man in his 40s overnight. Officers responded to reports of gunfire at an apartment in Hovsjö at around 23:11 local time (22:11 GMT) on Wednesday.

The victim, who was later identified as Momika by local media, was found with gunshot wounds and rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead on Thursday morning. Reports suggest he had been livestreaming on social media around the time of the attack.

Legal Case and International Reaction

Momika, an Iraqi living in Sweden, was facing trial for “agitation against an ethnic group” on four occasions in 2023. The Stockholm District Court postponed the verdict—initially scheduled for Thursday—after confirming his death.

Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated that the country’s security services were involved in the investigation, citing a potential risk of foreign influence, as reported by SVT.

Momika’s actions had previously fueled tensions between Sweden and several Muslim-majority nations. In response to his Quran-burning protest, unrest erupted twice at the Swedish embassy in Baghdad, and the Swedish ambassador was expelled.

Sweden’s Stance on Quran Burning Protests

Swedish police had authorized Momika’s controversial protest under the country’s free-speech laws. However, the government later pledged to explore legal measures to ban protests involving the burning of religious texts in specific circumstances.

This incident has reignited discussions on security, free speech, and Sweden’s diplomatic relations with the Muslim world.