JONKOPING, Sweden, Feb. 12 (UPI) -- A Swedish appeals court has overturned the conviction and jail sentence of an evangelical Christian pastor who preached against homosexuality.
The Rev. Ake Green was the nation's first person convicted of "agitating" against homosexuals since Sweden's hate-speech law was extended to gays and lesbians in 2002. Green was also the first preacher in the Scandinavian nation to be convicted of using hate speech for remarks he made from a pulpit, the Washington Post said Saturday.
The court Friday, however, defended Green's right to preach what it called "the Bible's categorical condemnation of homosexual relations as a sin.
"The minister's interpretation of Bible quotes is questionable -- as far as his choice of words is concerned -- but its content hardly goes further than the Bible text that he referred to," the court ruled.
Prosecutors, who wanted Green jailed for six months, have three weeks to appeal the court's action.
Green's case has been closely followed by Christian, Jewish and Muslim groups around the world, as well as gay and lesbian activists.
