Possible Role of 'Foreign Power' in the Killing of Salwan Momika; Khamenei Had Called for 'Severe Punishment' Against Him

Following the killing of Salwan Momika, an Iraqi refugee and civil activist opposed to Islam, near Stockholm, the Prime Minister of Sweden expressed concern about a possible connection of this incident to 'a foreign power.' Ulf Kristersson stated on Thursday, February 11, during a press conference that Swedish intelligence agencies are 'deeply' engaged in investigating this incident due to the risk of its connection to 'a foreign power.' Reuters reported, citing the Swedish intelligence agency, that they are assessing the potential impact of this shooting on 'Sweden's security.' The remarks from the Swedish Prime Minister come as Ali Khamenei, the leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, had previously called for 'the severest punishment' for Salwan Momika and his delivery to 'the judicial systems of Islamic countries' on July 22, 2023. The Swedish police have reported the arrest of five suspects in connection with the deadly shooting against this civil activist opposed to Islam. The Persian section of Voice of America has contacted the Swedish Foreign Ministry, requesting a response regarding the possible role of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the deadly shooting of Salwan Momika, and will inform its audience as soon as a response is received. The Swedish government had also arrested two agents of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the spring of 2020 on charges of plotting to assassinate three Israeli-Swedish citizens. On February 14, 2024, the Persian section of Voice of America conducted an exclusive interview with Saskia Pantel, a Swedish-Israeli activist and one of the three citizens targeted by the failed assassination plot by Iranian government agents in Sweden. In this interview, Ms. Pantel stated that Iranian refugees in Sweden have been grappling with these actions of the Islamic Republic for years and that Swedish authorities should have dealt with these actions. She described the Iranian embassy in Sweden as an 'information center' and 'director' of the assassinations. Over the past four and a half decades of the Islamic Republic's rule in Iran, in addition to assassinating many of its Iranian opponents inside and outside the country, it has consistently supported violence against civil activists opposed to Islam and also against Jewish citizens of other countries. For example, Salman Rushdie, the Indian-British author, faced death threats after the fatwa issued by Ruhollah Khomeini for allegedly insulting Islamic sanctities in the novel 'The Satanic Verses' and lived for years under police protection and in hiding. This renowned author was attacked by a knife-wielding assailant during a literary festival in New York in August 2022, resulting in him losing sight in one eye and suffering nerve damage in his hand. The Swedish government is implementing security measures to protect its citizens.