Malm¶: A Swedish appeals court on Monday reversed one of two convictions handed down by a lower court on Danish far-right agitator Rasmus Paludan, converting his prison sentence to a fine. The court in Malm¶ ruled that earlier Danish convictions considered by the lower court held no significant relevance in the cases being reviewed.

According to Ghana News Agency, Paludan, a 43-year-old lawyer, was found guilty nearly a year ago on two counts of inciting hatred against Muslims during gatherings in Malm¶ in 2022. He was also sentenced to four months in jail for libel, following incidents where he burned copies of the Koran at these gatherings.

Paludan appealed the decision, leading to the appeals court’s determination that his statements in one case could be interpreted as anti-religion rather than incitement. However, the ruling from Monday remains open to challenge in Sweden’s highest court.

The actions of Koran burning by another individual sparked significant diplomatic tensions for Sweden in 2023, as Turkey delayed Sweden’s application to join NATO. Paludan has a history of causing controversy and unrest in Denmark through similar provocative actions before carrying out Koran burnings in Sweden. Danish courts have previously convicted him for these types of incidents.