Quran desecrer Salwan Momika arrested in Sweden and under threat of deportation

He triggered a wave of indignation in the Muslim world by burning copies of the Koran in Sweden in the summer of 2023. Salwan Momika, an Iraqi refugee, was arrested in Norway. He risks being deported to Sweden.

Salwan Momika, a 37-year-old Iraqi who fled his country for Sweden, trampled the Koran several times before burning a few pages in front of the Grand Mosque in Stockholm, June 28, 2023. AFP - JONATHAN NACKSTRAND

By: RFI with AFP

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The Norwegian authorities are clear: the expulsion of

Salwan Momika

will take place as soon as possible. The Iraqi refugee, of Christian faith, was arrested on March 28 by Norwegian police. He had traveled to

Norway at the end of March after his

Swedish

residence permit was revoked

.

In October, the Swedish Migration Agency revoked Momika's residence permit, saying he had provided them with false information when applying for asylum. A temporary permit was granted to him, as it was not possible to send him back to Iraq. A month earlier, Iraq had requested his extradition because of his desecration of the Koran.

Also readSweden and Denmark seek to legislate to prevent the desecration of sacred texts

What about freedom of expression?

The day before his departure for Norway, Salwan Momika told AFP that " 

Sweden has become a threat to me since the decision to expel me and the threat to extradite me

 ", describing the decision as a "

 big lie

 ". freedom of expression and the protection of human rights in the Scandinavian country.

Last summer, Salwan Momika repeatedly publicly burned copies of the Quran, sparking protests

and a series of condemnations

across the Muslim world. In Baghdad, the Swedish embassy was twice the

target of attacks

. The government in Stockholm condemned the desecration of the Koran at the time, but also stressed the importance of freedom of assembly and expression on its soil.

Read also Koran burned in Stockholm: the OIC calls for “collective measures” to prevent such acts

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