Latest news with #Quran-burning
Russia Today
28-02-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
IS sympathizers jailed over plot to avenge burning of Quran
A German court has sentenced two Afghan men to prison for planning an attack on the Swedish parliament in response to Quran burnings in the country. They were found guilty of supporting Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) and conspiracy to commit murder, the Thuringian Higher Regional Court said in a statement on Thursday. Ibrahim MG, aged 30, was sentenced to five years and six months in prison, while Ramin N., 24, was given a sentence of four years and two months, according to the court document. 'The defendants, who entered Germany in 2015 and 2016, identified with the ideology of the so-called Islamic State (IS),' the statement read. 'They shared IS's worldview and supported the violent approach of this terrorist organization,' it added. According to the court, the defendants planned the attack in response to Quran burnings in Sweden. They intended to use firearms to kill members of parliament and people who would oppose their attack. The men researched locations in Stockholm, travel routes to Sweden, and ways to acquire weapons online. The suspects, who had been monitored by law enforcement, were arrested in March 2024 after attempting to acquire firearms on the black market in the Czech Republic. Apart from planning the attack, Ibrahim MG, who was a member of Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-K), a regional branch of IS, transferred money to aid the women and children of IS militants in a refugee camp in Syria, the court added. In determining the sentence, the court considered the defendants' confessions and the fact that they had no previous convictions. The verdict is not yet final as the Federal Court of Justice will have to decide on an appeal. Sweden has witnessed a spate of Quran-burning incidents in recent years, with similar protests taking place in neighboring Norway and Denmark. The incidents led to angry protests in several Muslim-majority countries. Swedish authorities have condemned the burnings, but still largely allowed them to go ahead, citing the country's laws guaranteeing the right to freedom of expression. Many Muslim-majority countries have condemned the incidents as Islamophobic, and Türkiye even threatened Sweden with blocking its NATO accession plans. Ankara later ratified the bid however, and the Nordic country was formally admitted to the US-led military bloc in March 2024. Stockholm said in 2023 that it planned to amend the Public Order Act in order to prevent Quran-burning incidents in the future. However, no legislative changes have been implemented to date.
Gulf Insider
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Gulf Insider
Quran-Burning Activist Shot Dead In Sweden
Swedish police have confirmed the killing of Iraqi refugee and anti-Islam activist Salwan Momika overnight on Wednesday. Momika, who was in his 40s and became famous for his regular Quran-burning events, was shot dead according to Stockholm police. 'Five people were arrested overnight in connection with the murder incident,' Anna Westberg from Stockholm police's media center told Middle East Eye. 'The police received the alarm at 11:11 pm. A prosecutor has been assigned to the case, and the police are cooperating with them in the ongoing investigation,' Westberg added. Widely circulated videos of his events had caused widespread anger in his native Iraq, leading to a diplomatic spat between Baghdad and Stockholm. While critics condemned Momika's Quran-burning events as incitement, the slain activist defended them as acts of free expression. Click here to read more
Shafaq News
31-01-2025
- Politics
- Shafaq News
Sweden confirms killing of Salwan Momika, Quran-burning protester
Shafaq News/ Swedish authorities have confirmed the killing of Salwan Momika, the Iraqi national who gained notoriety for staging Quran-burning protests in Sweden in 2023. According to CNN, a spokesperson for the Swedish Prosecutor's Office stated that Momika was fatally shot in Stockholm on Wednesday. Stockholm police reported that five individuals have been arrested in connection with the murder. Goran Lundahl, a lawyer at the Stockholm District Court, noted that a verdict was expected Thursday in a trial where Momika faced charges of inciting racial hatred. However, the ruling has now been postponed. Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson stated that security agencies would take part in the investigation, acknowledging concerns that the killing may have foreign links. Momika had been active on social media, regularly posting updates to his 230,000 followers about his ongoing legal battles and sharing anti-Islam sentiments. Earlier this month, his account solicited donations to fund legal assistance for seeking asylum in the United States.
CNN
30-01-2025
- Politics
- CNN
Man who staged Quran burning protests in Sweden shot dead, authorities say
Salwan Momika, an Iraqi man who sparked outrage by staging Quran-burning protests in Sweden in 2023, has been shot dead, according to Swedish authorities. A spokesperson for Sweden's prosecutor's office confirmed to CNN that Momika was shot dead in capital city Stockholm on Wednesday. Stockholm police told CNN that five people had been arrested on Wednesday night on suspicion of murder. Momika was on Thursday set to be handed a verdict in a trial where he was accused of incitement to racial hatred, Goran Lundahl, a lawyer for Stockholm's District Court, told CNN. This sentencing has now been postponed. In 2023, Momika told CNN that he had come to Sweden from Iraq in 2018. He said he had carried out the demonstrations because he believed the Quran 'should be banned in the world because of the danger it causes to democracy, ethics, human values, human rights, and women's rights. It just doesn't work in this time and age.' Swedish authorities had at first attempted to prevent Momika from staging protests by denying him a police permit to demonstrate. This decision was later overturned by Stockholm's Court of Appeals, citing freedom of speech. An account on X purporting to be Momika regularly posted updates on his 2025 trial to more than 230,000 followers. The account also regularly posted anti-Islam sentiments. Earlier this month, the account was asking for donations to go towards a lawyer, who would reportedly help Momika gain asylum in the United States. A prosecutor will now be in charge of investigating the murder, the Stockholm police spokesperson said. Security services will also be involved in the investigation, as there is a risk that Momika's murder could be linked to foreign powers, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told a press briefing Thursday, according to public broadcaster SVT. CNN's Henrik Pettersson and Lindsay Isaac contributed reporting.
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Man who staged Quran burning protests in Sweden shot dead, authorities say
Salwan Momika, an Iraqi man who sparked outrage by staging Quran-burning protests in Sweden in 2023, has been shot dead, according to Swedish authorities. A spokesperson for Sweden's prosecutor's office confirmed to CNN that Momika was shot dead in capital city Stockholm on Wednesday. Stockholm police told CNN that five people had been arrested on Wednesday night on suspicion of murder. Momika was on Thursday set to be handed a verdict in a trial where he was accused of incitement to racial hatred, Goran Lundahl, a lawyer for Stockholm's District Court, told CNN. This sentencing has now been postponed. In 2023, Momika told CNN that he had come to Sweden from Iraq in 2018. He said he had carried out the demonstrations because he believed the Quran 'should be banned in the world because of the danger it causes to democracy, ethics, human values, human rights, and women's rights. It just doesn't work in this time and age.' Swedish authorities had at first attempted to prevent Momika from staging protests by denying him a police permit to demonstrate. This decision was later overturned by Stockholm's Court of Appeals, citing freedom of speech. An account on X purporting to be Momika regularly posted updates on his 2025 trial to more than 230,000 followers. The account also regularly posted anti-Islam sentiments. Earlier this month, the account was asking for donations to go towards a lawyer, who would reportedly help Momika gain asylum in the United States. A prosecutor will now be in charge of investigating the murder, the Stockholm police spokesperson said. Security services will also be involved in the investigation, as there is a risk that Momika's murder could be linked to foreign powers, Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson told a press briefing Thursday, according to public broadcaster SVT. CNN's Henrik Pettersson and Lindsay Isaac contributed reporting.
