Sweden releases 5 arrested following the killing of an Iraqi who carried out Quran burnings

Swedish prosecutors said Friday they have ordered the release of five men who were arrested after the fatal shooting of an Iraqi man who carried out several Quran burnings.

Salwan Momika staged several burnings and desecrations of Islam’s holy book in Sweden in 2023. Videos of the Quran burnings got worldwide publicity and raised anger and criticism in several Muslim nations, leading to riots and unrest in many places.

Momika was killed in a shooting Wednesday night at an apartment building in Sodertalje, near Stockholm. Five people were arrested in the following hours on suspicion of murder.

Prosecutor Rasmus Öman said in a statement Friday that the suspicions they committed a crime have weakened and he no longer sees a reason to keep them in custody.

The statement added that the suspicions have not yet been dismissed completely and investigators are still looking into what exactly happened and who was behind the killing.