Activist burned the Koran – court acquitted him in part on grounds of freedom of expression

On Monday, a Swedish appeals court reduced the sentence for right-wing extremist activist Rasmus Paludan, who had been convicted in 2022 of hate crimes against Muslims. He was acquitted on one of two charges on the grounds that by burning the Koran, he was criticizing Islam as an ideology and not Muslims themselves.

The four-month prison sentence was suspended, and he was also fined the equivalent of €4.50 per day.

Paludan, a citizen of both Denmark and Sweden, gained notoriety for repeatedly burning the Koran at public gatherings, occasionally wrapping the book in bacon. This sparked a wave of protests and sharp criticism from the Muslim world.

Although burning religious texts is permitted under Swedish law on freedom of expression, incitement against an ethnic or national group—such as insulting and denigrating Muslims—can constitute a violation of the law.

(reuters, max)