Iraqi man Salwan Momika, who carried out several Quran burnings in Sweden, has died, a court in Stockholm said on Thursday.
Swedish media reported that Momika was killed in a shooting in a nearby city.
The 38-year-old had staged several burnings and desecrations of Islam’s holy book in Sweden.
Videos of the Quran burnings received worldwide publicity and raised anger and criticism in several Muslim nations, leading to riots and unrest in many places.
Swedish authorities allowed his demonstrations, citing freedom of speech, but his actions raised alarm among government and security officials who warned they could make Sweden a target for Islamic extremists.
Momika previously said he didn’t want to put Sweden at risk but was exercising his right to criticise Islam under freedom of speech.
He was under investigation by Swedish authorities for incitement against ethnic groups in Sweden.
The Stockholm District Court said a verdict scheduled on Thursday in a trial in which Momika was a defendant was postponed because one of the defendants had died.
Court documents and the judge in the case, Göran Lundahl, confirmed that the deceased was Momika, Swedish news agency TT reported.
Police said they were alerted to a shooting Wednesday night in Sodertalje, near Stockholm, and found a man with gunshot wounds. He later died, and a preliminary murder investigation was opened.
Broadcaster SVT reported, without naming sources, that the victim was Momika.
