Far-right activist convicted in Sweden of hate speech against Muslims

A Swedish court on Tuesday found a far-right activist guilty of two counts of hate crime against Muslims over statements he made whilst burning copies of the Koran, acts that triggered riots in the Nordic country in 2022.

Rasmus Paludan, the founder of a small political party, was sentenced to four months in prison for agitation against Muslims, the Malmo district court said.

A citizen of both Denmark and Sweden, Paludan has several times set Islam's holy book on fire in public, on occasion also draping it in bacon, causing outrage among Muslims at home and abroad.

While burning religious texts in itself is permitted under Sweden's far-reaching freedom of speech legislation, agitation against an ethnic or national group, such as insulting and offending Muslims, can be a violation of the law.

Paludan was charged with making lewd remarks about Islam and Muslims as well as about counter-demonstrators.

"The court makes the assessment that at the gatherings (Paludan) expressed disrespect towards, among others, Muslims, and that his actions can't be excused as criticism of Islam or as political campaigning," the ruling said.

Paludan, 42, who was also convicted in Denmark on similar charges in 2020, had pleaded not guilty. His lawyer said he would appeal.

The Swedish government, fearing that Koran burnings by Paludan and others could trigger attacks by Islamist extremists, is considering making it possible for police to deny permission for public gatherings if they threaten national security.

Denmark last year tightened legislation to ban public Koran burnings outright.

Paludan's political party has failed to win any seats in elections in either Denmark or Sweden.