Swedish cartoonist known for anti-Islamic sketch killed in car accident

Lars Vilks had been living under police protection since 2007 due to death threats over his depiction of Prophet Muhammad

By Atilla Altuntas

STOCKHOLM (AA) – Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks, known for his derogatory depiction of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad, died in a car accident Sunday, according to local media.

Two police officers who had been assigned to protect him were also killed in the accident, the Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter reported.

The car carrying Vilks and the officers collided with a truck and both vehicles caught fire, Sweden’s public broadcaster SVT reported.

The truck driver was injured.

Vilks had been living under police protection since the controversial 2007 sketch due to death threats.

Police said they have launched an investigation into the incident.

In 2007, Sweden's local newspaper Nerikes Allehanda published Vilks’ cartoon insulting the Prophet Muhammad. Since then, he had been living in a secret location with police guards.

Kaynak:

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