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05/12/2008: "Swedish politician acquitted of hate speech charges"

A local politician from the Malmo suburb of Burlov has been acquitted of charges of agitation against an ethnic group.

The legislative motion dealt primarily with homelessness in Burlov and the appeals court ruled the motion was written so poorly that its aim was rendered unintelligible.

Instead, the court attempted to interpreted what Pettersson meant.

According to the Court of Appeals, the text of the proposal could be read as saying that Kosovo Albanians are especially inclined to be involved with the heroin trade and therefore cause homelessness and other societal problems.

Ultimately, the court choose to release Pettersson, arguing that freedom of expression and the right to criticize current policy is important, especially when it comes to political debate.

[ If the court felt that "freedom of expression and the right to criticize current policy is important, especially when it comes to political debate" then why waste all that time and money prosecuting the politician in the first place? ]

http://www.thelocal.se/11708/20080512/