Denmark files 1st Koran desecration ban case

Denmark charged two people on Friday under its law banning desecration of the Koran, a first for legislation adopted after a series of holy book burnings that sparked outrage among Muslims, authorities said.

The pair, whose identities were not disclosed, are accused of "inappropriate treatment of a Koran" during a festival in June gathering people from the political, economic, and social spheres.

Neither Copenhagen's prosecution authority nor local media have described their alleged actions in detail.

The actions "took place publicly, were followed by a number of people, and were also broadcast to a wider circle by being filmed and broadcast live on Facebook", prosecutor Lise-Lotte Nilas said in a statement.

The new legislation was adopted on December 7, 2023, and entered into force several days later, after a series of desecrations of Islam's holy book in Denmark and neighbouring Sweden sparked outrage in Muslim countries.

In practical terms, it is now forbidden to burn, tear, or otherwise defile holy texts publicly or in videos intended to be disseminated widely.

Those who break the law risk a fine or up to two years behind bars.

According to the Danish daily Politiken, police were investigating eight violations of the law as of January 22.