Iraqi Salwan Momika, known for burning the Koran in Sweden on several occasions, was shot dead on Wednesday night in an apartment in Hovsjö, Södertälje.
According to unconfirmed reports, the murder took place during a live broadcast on TikTok.
Police were alerted to the scene shortly after 11pm on Wednesday night after reports of gunfire. When they arrived, they found Salwan Momika badly shot and lifeless in the apartment. Despite efforts to save his life, he was pronounced dead shortly after.
According to reports from several media outlets, Momika was broadcasting live on TikTok when the attack occurred. Viewers report hearing several shots being fired before the broadcast was abruptly cut off.
– Police are alerted to a suspected shooting inside an apartment building in Hovsjö. At the scene, police find a man in his 40s who has been hit by shots and the man is taken to hospital, the police wrote in a statement on their website during the night.
Five people arrested
Police have launched an extensive investigation and cordoned off a large area around the crime scene. Five people have been arrested on suspicion of involvement in the murder, but police have not yet released details of the suspects or possible motives.
Salwan Momika, 38, became known to the public in 2023 when he repeatedly burned Korans in public places in Sweden. His actions provoked strong reactions both nationally and internationally, and also led to diplomatic tensions between Sweden and several Muslim countries.
According to the Bonnier newspaper Expressen, the Swedish Security Service (Säpo) has also been involved due to the murder.
– In general terms, we have close cooperation with the police. But when it comes to this particular operation, it is a police matter, says Gabriel Wernstedt, press spokesman at Säpo.
Links to Mossad and Israel?
In addition to the Koran burnings, Salwan Momika has also been accused by the Iranian intelligence service of working for the Israeli security service Mossad, something that The Nordic Times reported early on.
In a statement from July 2023, the Iranian Ministry of Intelligence announced in a strong tone, via the official state news agency Islamic Republic News Agency, that the then 37-year-old Momika’s desecration of the Koran also in itself constituted an action by the Israeli security service.
The purpose was said to have been, among other things, to create “media waves” to divert attention from Israel’s actions in the West Bank at the time (this was before October 7 that year).
Strong reactions
The sentencing of Salwan Momika and his accomplice Salwan Najem, scheduled for later today, has been postponed indefinitely following the murder.
Police are appealing to the public to come forward with tips and information that could help the investigation. They are particularly interested in testimonies from people who may have seen something suspicious in the area around Granövägen in Hovsjö on Tuesday evening and Wednesday night.
The murder has provoked strong reactions on social media, with both supporters and critics of Momika expressing their views on his own thematic issues of freedom of expression and Islamization in Sweden. Police say they are closely monitoring the situation to prevent any retaliation or unrest.
