Court Convicts Far-Right Activist in Hate Crime Case

Rasmus Paludan, a far-right activist, was convicted of hate crimes in Sweden after burning copies of the Koran, leading to unrest in 2022. Despite Sweden's freedom of speech laws, his actions were deemed an ethnic affront, resulting in a four-month prison sentence. He plans to appeal the ruling.

A Swedish court has sentenced Rasmus Paludan, a far-right activist, to four months in prison for hate crimes against Muslims following his public burning of the Koran. The court's decision stemmed from Paludan's actions that prompted riots and backlash in Sweden in 2022.

Paludan, a dual citizen of Denmark and Sweden, has repeatedly set Islam's holy text alight, sometimes wrapping it in bacon, sparking outrage among Muslims. While Swedish law permits burning religious texts under freedom of speech, Paludan's conduct was deemed an illegal incitement against Muslims.

Despite a similar conviction in Denmark in 2020, Paludan pleaded not guilty and intends to appeal. As a preventive measure, the Swedish government is considering empowering police to deny permits for demonstrations that pose security risks.

(With inputs from agencies.)