A Swedish court sentenced Rasmus Paludan, a Swedish-Danish right-wing activist, to four months in prison for inciting ethnic hatred during two Quran-burning protests in 2022. Paludan, known for his inflammatory protests, sparked riots across Sweden last year as he toured and publicly desecrated copies of the Quran.
Prosecutors charged him with “agitation against an ethnic group” for incidents in Malmo and another location, where he set fire to the Quran and made derogatory remarks about Muslims, Arabs, and Africans. Malmo’s district court stated that Paludan’s actions showed clear contempt for Muslims, crossing the boundaries of acceptable political discourse and not protected as free speech. Judge Nicklas Soderberg emphasized that Paludan’s statements aimed to defame rather than engage in legitimate critique.
Paludan, who denied the charges, argued his actions were political expressions supporting his party, Stram Kurs (Hard Line), and vowed to appeal the ruling. The protests have intensified diplomatic strains, especially after Paludan’s Quran-burning outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm in January 2023, which impacted Sweden’s NATO bid. Similar protests by Iraqi refugee Salwan Momika in 2023 further strained Sweden’s relations with Middle Eastern countries. Swedish authorities condemned these acts but cited protections for free speech and assembly under the constitution.
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