Stockholm, Sweden:
Iraqi refugee Salwan Momika, who was shot lifeless late Wednesday in Sweden, stoked worldwide controversy along with his Koran burnings.
In June 2023, the 38-year-old with a chequered previous sparked outrage when he stomped on the Islamic holy e book and wrapped it in bacon earlier than lighting a couple of pages on hearth, slamming it shut and kicking it like a soccer.
Momika, together with co-protester Salwan Najem, went on to stage several similar protests, in a single occasion exterior Iraq’s embassy in Stockholm — though he kept away from burning it on that event.
The Swedish resolution to let his demonstration go forward prompted Iraq to expel Sweden’s ambassador and revoke the license for telecom agency Ericsson to function within the nation.
At his protests, Momika, usually sporting sq. sun shades, appeared defiant within the face of shouting counter-protesters, smirking in response to the obscenities shouted at him.
Whereas holding the Koran, Momika professed that he wished to alert Swedish society to “the hazard of this e book” at his June 2023 protest.
Earlier than his 2018 transfer to Sweden, his social media accounts instructed a narrative of an erratic political profession in Iraq.
It included hyperlinks to a Christian armed faction throughout the struggle towards the Islamic State group, rivalries with influential Christian paramilitaries and a quick arrest.
He additionally joined the huge anti-corruption protests that gripped Iraq in late 2019, which had been met with a crackdown by authorities that killed greater than 600 individuals nationwide.
Diplomatic headache
Momika had initially deliberate to stage his Stockholm protest in February 2023, however police denied him a allow citing safety considerations.
That ruling was overturned in court docket, clearing the best way for his demonstration.
Talking to newspaper Aftonbladet in April 2023, Momika burdened that his intention was to not trigger Sweden any hassle.
“I do not wish to hurt this nation that acquired me and preserved my dignity,” he mentioned.
His protests nonetheless prompted a headache for the federal government.
His June protest drew condemnations from around the globe, together with from Turkey — which on the time was blocking Sweden’s NATO membership.
Iraqi protesters stormed the Swedish embassy in Baghdad twice in July 2023, beginning fires inside the compound on the second event.
The Swedish authorities condemned the desecrations whereas noting the nation’s constitutionally protected freedom of speech and meeting legal guidelines.
‘Large lie’
In August 2024, Momika was charged with having dedicated “agitation towards an ethnic group” on 4 events in the summertime of 2023.
Stockholm’s district court docket was attributable to ship its verdict within the case the very morning after Momika was killed.
Later the identical day, prosecutors dropped the fees.
Momika had mentioned he had acquired a slew of demise threats over his protests, which had been livestreamed on his social media.
Whereas Momika had police safety throughout his protests and when attending court docket, his lawyer Anna Roth instructed information company TT that so far as she knew he was not protected whereas at residence.
“He was nicely conscious that there was an intensive risk to him. There was a worth on his head,” Roth mentioned.
In March 2024, Momika left Sweden to hunt asylum in Norway, telling AFP that Sweden’s freedom of expression and safety of human rights was “a giant lie”.
Norway deported him again to Sweden solely weeks later.
Within the wake of his preliminary protests he expressed ambitions to enter politics.
He instructed newspaper Aftonbladet he hoped to at some point run for a seat in parliament as a consultant for the Sweden Democrats — an anti-immigration get together propping up Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s coalition authorities.
On the time the Sweden Democrats mentioned that Momika’s actions didn’t characterize the get together.
(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)