Denmark: Jyllands-Posten’s editors found “not guilty” of racism
On October 26 Danish Jyllands-Posten ‘s editor in chief Carsten Juste and culture editor Flemming Rose were acquitted of the accusation of racism for allowing the publication of the Mohammed cartoons in September 2005. The lawsuit was filed by seven Muslim organizations based in Denmark, after the country’s attorney general decided not to press criminal charges against the daily under racism and blasphemy laws.
According to the Aarthus court, the plaintiffs did not prove that the paper had intentionally libeled Muslims, nor was there evidence that the cartoons were meant to belittle their religion. “There is no sufficient reason to assume that the cartoons are or were intended to be insulting ... or put forward ideas that could hurt the standing of Muslims in society" the ruling reads.
“Anything other than an acquittal would have been a catastrophe for freedom of the press (…) You can say what you want about the drawings and the decision to publish them, but the paper's inalienable right to do so has been confirmed by the courts” Juste commented.
'The court has given Jyllands-Posten the right to offend Muslims and Muslims' feelings and to associate us with terrorism,” declared Kasem Said Ahmad, spokesman for the Islamic Faith Association, one of the groups bringing charges. The 7 Muslim organizations announced they would appeal the Aarthus decision.
The tribunal ordered the seven organizations to pay the paper's court expenses.
Source: Jyllands-Posten , BBC, Reuters
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Bertrand, you have a interview about this case with Pedro J. Ramírez in Periodistas 21:
"It is a political manoeuvre o a personal revenge"
and new information in:
A judicial decision reinforce the professional secret in Spain