A Swedish-Danish far-right activist, Rasmus Paludan, was sentenced on Tuesday to four months in prison for inciting hatred during two actions in 2022 during which he burned copies of the Koran. Rasmus Paludan provoked riots in Sweden in 2022, burning copies of the Koran during an anti-Islam tour of the country.
The prosecution had sent him to trial for “agitation against an ethnic group” during a demonstration in Malmö in April 2022 during which he desecrated the Koran by burning it and made derogatory remarks about Muslims. He also appeared for derogatory statements against Arabs and Africans.
The District Court of Malmö found that Paludan “had expressed contempt for Muslims, among others, during the rallies and that his actions could not be accepted as criticism of Islam or a political campaign”. “It is permissible to publicly criticize, for example, Islam and even Muslims, but contempt for a group of people must clearly not exceed the limits of relevant and responsible discourse”said Judge Nicklas Söderberg in a statement. “In these cases, there was no such speech. On the contrary, the statements were simply intended to defame and insult Muslims.he added.
Difficult relations between Sweden and Muslim countries
Rasmus Paludan was consequently found guilty and sentenced to four months in prison. The activist denied the accusations, saying he was campaigning for his small party “Tight Course” and that he was content to criticize Islam. He announced to the Swedish news agency TT his intention to appeal.
After his Swedish tour, Rasmus Paludan sparked an international stir, burning a Quran in front of the Turkish embassy in Stockholm in January 2023. The incident strained relations between the two countries, at a time when Turkey was delaying the candidacy from Sweden to NATO.
Relations between Stockholm and several Muslim countries further deteriorated after an Iraqi refugee, Salwan Momika, desecrated copies of the Quran several times in the summer of 2023 in Sweden. Salwan Momika and another defiler Salwan Najem were also committed for trial for “incitement to hatred” and the hearing is scheduled to take place in January. The Swedish government has condemned the burning of the sacred book on its soil but emphasizes the predominance of freedom of expression and assembly.
