Sweden: Muslim identified as murderer of Qur’an-burner Momika, cops search for him and his motive

This Aftonbladet report says that Zakkour has been arrested, but this is only a gesture. He has not been apprehended. He may be in Syria or Iran. Swedish authorities are just saying that they will arrest him if they can find him. Meanwhile, these intrepid Keystone Kops are still hunting for his motive. Given their myopia and unshakeable false assumptions, they’re even less likely to find that than they are to find Zakkour himself.

“24-year-old arrested for Momika’s murder – has previously been linked to the gang environment,” translated from “24-åring häktad för mordet på Momika – har tidigare kopplats till gängmiljön,” by Beri Zangana and Marcus Ulvsand, Aftonbladet, October 17, 2025:

Bashar Zakkour, 24, has been arrested in absentia on suspicion of the murder of Koran burner Salwan Momika.

Since his whereabouts are unknown, he will be wanted internationally.

According to information provided to Aftonbladet, the man has previously been linked to the gang environment in southern Stockholm.

The murder of 38-year-old Koran burner Salwan Momika seemed to remain unsolved for a while. On January 29 of this year, he was murdered in a home in Södertälje. Several people who were initially suspected in the investigation were dropped and the investigation seemed to be at a standstill.

But now there has been a breakthrough and Bashar Zakkour, 24, was arrested on Friday in his absence on probable cause on suspicion of murder and aggravated weapons offenses. He will now be wanted internationally.

Earlier this week, the prosecutor announced that they have a “good picture of the course of events” and the arrest warrant states that they suspect that the act “was preceded by careful planning” and “caused severe suffering for the victim.”

According to the press’s own ethical regulations, media should be cautious about identifying people in connection with crimes, especially in the early stages of the investigation. In this case, however, there are several factors that speak in favor of an identification:

Zakkour is a formal suspect and has been detained in his absence by Swedish prosecutors, who state that they have a “good picture of the course of events”. The murder of Salwan Momika has attracted attention both in Sweden and abroad.

The suspect is wanted internationally and is believed to have fled abroad, possibly to Syria or Iran.

Zakkour is not unknown to the police and has previously been linked to criminal environments in the Stockholm area.

Fled on a bicycle
– The investigation has shown that the perpetrator entered one of the neighboring gates. Then up on the roof, then he got down on the balcony and into the apartment when Momika went out to smoke, prosecutor Rasmus Öman explained during the hearing according to TT.

Rasmus Öman told SVT Nyheter Södertälje that the suspect after the murder is said to have fled on a bicycle, then by car, train, and finally by plane towards Syria.

– My assessment is that his escape route is pretty clear all the way to Copenhagen, he tells Aftonbladet.

However, he states that it is currently unknown where the suspect is.

According to Expressen, however, the man is said to be in Iran right now.

– We have no information within the framework of the preliminary investigation.

Rasmus Öman also states that if Bashar Zakkour were to be in Syria, the chances of having him extradited to Sweden are small.

– Since it is his home country, they are not particularly good.

Linked to gang environment
Shortly after the detention hearing, the police announced that the man would be internationally wanted.

– It will probably happen next week, says Rasmus Öman.

According to him, the evidence consists of both technical evidence and surveillance images from the surrounding area. However, he does not want to speculate about a motive at this time.

– Based on the evidence, I am quite sure that this is the person who carried out the murder, but we are still investigating whether there may be any accomplices.

Bashar Zakkour is not unknown to the police. According to information provided to Aftonbladet, the now suspected 24-year-old has been linked to the gang environment in southern Stockholm a few years ago.

In addition to being involved in the gang criminal environment, the man also has a criminal record. These include crimes related to drug offenses, drunk driving and violations of the Knife Act.

Salwan Momika became nationally known for burning the Koran in Sweden, which also led to an increased threat against him. He was murdered in the middle of a live broadcast on TikTok.

He came to Sweden from Iraq in 2018 and was granted a temporary residence permit.

At the time of the murder, he was charged with incitement against a group of people together with his companion Salwan Najem, in connection with the Koran burnings. However, the charges against Salwan Momika were dropped after the murder.

The motive for why Salwan Momika was shot is still unclear.