STOCKHOLM: An Iraqi refugee in Sweden, who repeatedly desecrated the Holy Quran in 2023, was shot dead on Wednesday.

A Stockholm court had been due to rule on Thursday whether 38-year-old Salwan Momika, a Christian Iraqi, was guilty of inciting ethnic hatred, but said it had postponed its ruling until Feb 3 as a result of his death.

Prosecutor Rasmus Oman said an investigation had been opened into the murder of Momika and that five people had been arrested.

“We’re in the very early stages... there’s a lot of information gathering.” Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told reporters at a press conference on Thursday: “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 foreign power.” In Oct 2023, a Swedish court convicted another man of inciting ethnic hatred for desecration of the Holy Quran, the first time the country’s judiciary had tried someone for a sacrilegious act.

Police responded late on Wednesday to a call about a shooting in an apartment building in the city of Sodertalje, where Momika lived.

There they found a man who had been shot, and who later died in hospital, a police statement said.

Several media outlets reported that the shooting may have been broadcast live on social media.

The Aftonbladet said the attacker was able to gain entry into the building through the roof.

Published in Dawn, January 31st, 2025