Jokes about jews and black people lead to sentence

The Western High Court of Denmark affirmed that a series of jokes about jews and black people are punishable by law, following a case that has garnered attention. The court agreed with the Holstebro City Court that numerous statements labeled as ‘Jewish jokes’ and ‘Black jokes’ violated the limits of the Penal Code’s racism clause, protecting groups against mockery based on race, belief, or other characteristics. The 29-year-old multimedia designer defendant, Azad Sadon Fadil Habib, who pleaded for acquittal claiming no prejudice, received a conditional seven-day jail sentence. In a 5-1 decision, the majority ruled these jokes derogatory, particularly regarding the Holocaust and portraying blacks as slaves and criminals, while the dissenting judge contended the statements weren’t severe enough to breach the law. The defense suggests the case might be escalated to the Supreme Court, while prosecutors emphasize the accused made money from these jokes without contributing to a substantive debate.