A Swedish court has sentenced Rasmus Paludan, a Swedish-Danish right-wing activist, to four months in prison for inciting ethnic hatred during two protests in 2022, which included the burning of Qurans. The Malmo district court ruled that Paludan’s actions, which involved desecrating the Muslim holy book and making derogatory comments about Muslims, exceeded the limits of acceptable public discourse.
In April 2022, Paludan sparked riots in Sweden while touring the country and burning copies of the Quran. Prosecutors charged him with “agitation against an ethnic group” following a protest in Malmo, where he not only set fire to the Quran but also made inflammatory remarks about Muslims. Additionally, he faced charges related to another incident involving derogatory statements about Arabs and Africans.
Judge Nicklas Soderberg stated that Paludan’s comments reflected contempt for Muslims and could not be justified as legitimate criticism of Islam or political campaigning. He emphasized that while public criticism of religions is permissible, it should not cross into defamation or insult against specific groups.
Paludan denied the charges, claiming his actions were part of his campaign for the hardline political party Stram Kurs (Hard Line) and contended that his statements were merely critical of Islam. He has announced plans to appeal the verdict.
The activist’s controversial protest activities also included setting fire to a Quran outside the Turkish embassy in Stockholm in January 2023, an act that further strained Sweden’s relations with Turkey amid the country’s NATO bid discussions.
Relations with several Middle Eastern nations have been tested further due to a series of protests by Iraqi refugee Salwan Momika, which similarly involved Quran desecrations during the summer of 2023. Momika and co-protester Salwan Najem face charges of inciting ethnic hatred, with their trial scheduled for January 2024.
While the Swedish government has condemned such desecrations, it maintains that freedom of speech and assembly is constitutionally protected.
