Free speech still safe in Denmark

A Danish court has thrown out a defamation lawsuit against Jyllands-Posten regarding the blasphemous cartoons from Hell:

The City Court in Aarhus today rejected a lawsuit brought by seven Danish Muslim groups claiming that the 12 drawings printed in Jyllands-Posten were intended to insult the prophet and make a mockery of Islam.

While the cartoons may have offended some Muslims, there was no basis for claiming that the newspaper sought to belittle their faith, the court said.

Carsten Juste, Jyllands-Posten’s editor-in-chief, hailed the decision as a victory for free speech. "Anything but a pure acquittal would have been a disaster for press freedom and the media's possibility to fulfil its duties in a democratic society," he said.

The Muslim groups behind the lawsuit said they would appeal.

Damian P.

Posted by damian at October 26, 2006 01:03 PM