The Swedish community of Örebro was shocked this week when a lecturer at Örebro University was stabbed in the neck and killed.
Dr. Fuat Deniz was an Assyrian working on his PhD at Örebro University, where he was stabbed on Tuesday. Although the attack occurred during the day, there were no witnesses and police have not yet announced any suspects.
In order to pursue the case, police are collecting forensic evidence and details of the victim’s routine and relationships.
Swedish security police (SÄPO), who are the equivalent of the FBI in Sweden, suspect that the attack could have been politically motivated. Dr. Deniz’s work was mainly focused on Assyrian identity and often touched upon the Turkish genocide of Assyrians.
Dr. Deniz died from his wounds in the Örebro University Hospital on Thursday. A commemoration ceremony was held in the town later that day and was attended by hundreds of students.
Lars Leijonborg, a minister at the university and a local researcher participated in the ceremony. “Dr. Fuat Deniz and his family came to our country to escape violence and assaults. It is a terrible tragedy that this has happened to him. He was not only a national hero for Assyrians but a role model for many in our society,” he said.
Students also mourned the loss of Dr. Deniz, who had been selected to receive a ‘good educator’ award from the university next week. He was mourned also by the vice chairman of the Assyrian federation of Sweden, Abboud Ado, who said that his death would be an immense loss for both Assyrians and for Sweden.