Swedish authorities charge Paludan with hate speech

Swedish prosecution has charged Rasmus Paludan with incitement to hatred against a population group, following events in April and September 2022, including the burning of several Qur’ans, notably in Malmö. Paludan denies the accusations, emphasizing the importance of speech legality over opinions. The incident, involving the burning of the Qur’an in front of Turkey’s embassy, had significant effects, including opposition by Turkey’s Erdogan to Sweden’s NATO membership. This required significant diplomatic efforts to resolve. In Denmark, the government has moved to ban the burning of religious texts, citing security risks, with a narrow majority in Parliament passing the legislation.