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Quran burning by Salwan Momika and Salwan Najem in Stockholm in July 2023.
ollowing his conviction for incitement against an ethnic group—and the murder of his co-defendant Salwan Momika—a prominent opponent of Islam critic has fled Sweden and is now seeking asylum in America.
Salwan Najem—who carried out several high-profile Quran burnings with Momika in the summer of 2023—left Sweden during the spring and entered the United States, where he is currently detained while awaiting review of his asylum application.
The move came after a series of legal and security events that the activist says made his situation in Sweden untenable. On January 29th last year Najem’s co-defendant Salwan Momika was shot dead in his apartment in Södertälje while livestreaming on TikTok. The likely reason for Momika’s execution was his harsh and vocal criticisms of Islam.
The murder, believed to be a contract killing, occurred despite Momika reportedly being at a police-protected address. Following the crime, Najem was placed under the protection of the Swedish Security Service (Säpo), but lost confidence that the state could guarantee his safety.
Najem was convicted of four counts of incitement against an ethnic group for his Quran burnings, a verdict upheld by the Svea Court of Appeal. In January 2026, the Supreme Court declined to grant leave to appeal. Najem has described the verdict as punishment for his views, claiming Sweden has effectively reinstated a ban on blasphemy.
Najem’s lawyer noted that the decisive turning point was U.S. vice president JD Vance’s criticism of the Swedish verdict at the Munich Security Conference in February 2025, which gave Najem hope for better protection in the U.S.
This case has sparked international attention and raised broader concerns about Sweden’s ability to safeguard free speech and protect individuals facing threats. Such developments signal a significant shift in the world’s perception of Sweden, which was once considered one of the safest countries globally before the onset of illegal mass migration.
