Salwan Momika, an Iraqi refugee in Sweden who sparked outrage last year after burning copies of the Koran, announced on Wednesday that he had left the country to travel to Norway after his residence permit was revoked, France Presse reported.

Momika, an Iraqi Christian who repeatedly burned copies of the Koran in the summer of 2023 in Sweden, told AFP that he had arrived in Norway, where he wanted to apply for asylum.

“I left Sweden because of the harassment I experienced from government agencies,” Momika said.

His actions caused protests and disapproval in many Muslim countries. In Iraq, demonstrators attacked the Swedish embassy in Baghdad twice in July, setting fire to the building in the second attempt.

The Swedish government condemned the desecration of the Koran, but emphasized the importance of laws on freedom of assembly and expression in its territory.

In August, Swedish intelligence raised its terror alert level to four on a five-point scale after demonstrations abroad, saying Sweden had become a “priority target”.

The Swedish Migration Agency revoked Momika’s residence permit in October, citing false information in his initial application, but issued him a temporary permit because it could not send him back to Iraq.

A month earlier, Iraq had requested his extradition for desecrating the Koran.

“Sweden has become a threat to me because of the decision to expel me and the threat of extradition,” Momika added, calling freedom of speech and protection of human rights in Sweden “a big lie.”