A court in Stockholm has convicted an accomplice of Quran burner Salwan Momika for “incitement to hatred.”
The 38-year-old Momika was shot dead in Stockholm on Wednesday night, just before the court was set to rule on his case and that of his accomplice, Salwan Najem (50). Due to his death, the decision was postponed to Monday.
Judge Göran Lundahl emphasised the broad scope of freedom of expression, stating that one can be critical of a religion in a factual and serious debate.
However, he noted that expressing an opinion about a religion does not automatically grant freedom to say or do anything without risking offence. The court found that the actions involved had clearly crossed the line of factual debate and criticism and were contemptuous towards the Muslim population.
Momika, an Assyrian Christian originally from northern Iraq, arrived in Sweden in 2018 and received a three-year residence permit in 2021, which was extended last year. He burned the Quran multiple times in Sweden, leading to significant protests in Islamic countries in 2023.
The Quran burnings also strained relations between Sweden and several Middle Eastern countries. The Swedish government condemned the actions of Momika and his accomplice but highlighted that freedom of expression is protected by the constitution.
