A Danish anti-Islam activist has been jailed in Sweden for four months after taking part in protests that involved setting the Islamic Quran on fire. Rasmus Paludan has been found guilty in the Malmö district court of “incitement against an ethnic group,” charges he firmly denies.
Paludan, leader of Denmark’s Stram Kurs (Hard Line) party, intends to appeal the conviction. His charges relate to two protests in April and September 2022. During the April demonstration, he allegedly wrapped bacon around a Quran, subsequently setting it on fire, kicking, and spitting on it.
He also reportedly made derogatory remarks about Muslims, stating they “like to use violence” and contribute to “unrest and disharmony.” Muslims erupted into riots several times after Paludan’s Quran-burning protests.
Paludan is also accused of telling an individual to “go home to Africa,” adding: “Africans do not belong in Sweden.”
Judge Nicklas Söderberg stated that while criticism of Islam and Muslims is supposedly permissible, Paludan’s comments exceeded acceptable discourse, aiming instead to insult and defame. In addition to his prison sentence, Paludan must pay SEK 20,000 ($1,840) to the individual he is accused of insulting.
Paludan remains adamant that he did not utter the alleged remarks, arguing that the court based its decision on interpretations rather than exact quotes.
Muslim groups along with world leaders like Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan have called on Sweden to ban Quran burnings. While a ban on Quran burning was implemented in Denmark, it remains technically legal in Sweden under free speech protections.
