Stockholm - Saba:
The 38-year-old Silvan Momika, known for burning copies of the Holy Quran in Sweden, was shot dead late on Wednesday inside an apartment in the city of Södertälje.
According to Swedish television, the incident occurred late Wednesday evening, when police and medical teams received a report of gunfire inside an apartment building after 11 pm.
Swedish police spokesman Daniel Wickdal reported that a man in his forties was found shot inside an apartment and was taken to the hospital.
Swedish television sources indicated that the deceased was Silvan Momika, who was known for burning copies of the Quran during protests that sparked widespread controversy last year. The Swedish Security Service (Sapo) was also involved in the investigation due to the sensitive nature of the case.
Unconfirmed reports have circulated that the incident was broadcast live on social media, but police have so far refused to confirm these claims. Police are still imposing a security cordon around the crime scene, while special teams are being used to search and investigate the area.
A police spokesman confirmed that a person has been detained for questioning, without revealing further details about whether this person is an official suspect.
Silwan Momika arrived in Sweden from Iraq in 2018 and was granted a three-year residence permit in 2021.
Momika became famous in the summer of 2023 when he burned copies of the Qur’an. These actions sparked widespread protests in the Islamic world and affected Swedish diplomatic relations, especially during Sweden’s NATO accession negotiations.
A Stockholm court was due to issue its verdict on Thursday in the case of Momika and his partner Silwan Najm being accused of inciting against an ethnic group over statements they made during those protests.
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