On Wednesday evening, the police were alerted about a shooting in an apartment in Södertälje. During the morning, it was confirmed that Salwan Momika, known for his Quran burnings in Sweden, was the victim and had been shot to death.
He was well aware that there was a comprehensive threat against him. That there was a price on his head, as he himself put it, says his lawyer Anna Roth.
Arrested after two hours
Five people were arrested during the night and are now detained. According to the Prosecution Authority, it concerns five adult individuals.
According to documents from Södertälje District Court, the murder is believed to have taken place sometime between 23:08 and 23:11 on Wednesday. Four of the detained were arrested at 01:15 on Thursday morning. The fifth person was arrested at 04:58 in the morning.
Denies crime
All five received lawyers appointed on Thursday afternoon. Three of the suspects' lawyers say to TT that their clients deny the crime.
I can't say anything other than his stance, and that is that he denies the crime, says lawyer George Yanko, who represents one of the suspects but does not want to say if he has met his client or if any interrogations have been held.
At the latest on Sunday, February 2, the prosecutor will decide whether the individuals will be requested to be detained or not.
The Security Service is also involved in the murder, which Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson referred to as "spectacular" at a press conference.
I can guarantee that the security services are deeply involved since it is obvious that there is a risk of a connection to foreign power, says Kristersson at the press conference.
Shot indoors
The shooting is believed to have taken place indoors in an apartment in a residential building in the Hovsjö area. There are also reports that the shooting was live-streamed on social media, but this is something the police cannot confirm.
It's a report that has come to us and that we will investigate, says press spokesperson Nadya Norton.
A clip on social media shows a snippet of a live broadcast filmed from inside a residence. The images show that the broadcast was made from an account with Salwan Momika's name. After a short while, a police officer's face appears in the picture and the broadcast is interrupted.
Salwan Momika was charged with incitement to racial hatred after burning Qurans in the summer of 2023, in a case where the verdict was to be announced on Thursday. The charges against Momika are now dropped, and the verdict against his co-defendant Salwan Najem is postponed until February 3.
