Sweden: Prison for Critizism Against Homosexuality

Stenungsund, Sweden, May 11, 2005 - The administrator for the Christian website Bibeltemplet (the Bible Temple) in Stenungsund, Sweden, newly was sentenced to two months in prison for critical views on homosexuality in a forum on his website. Furthermore, his computer is to be destroyed, to "prevent continued criminality".

According to the Stenungsund Court, the administrator is guilty of "incitement against a group of people" for statements he himself has written, and for crime against "the law on electronic bulletin boards", for guest-messages which he neglected to delete.

The administrator, Leif Liljeström, says that his purpose is to preach the gospel and win people for Jesus, and that the truth is needed to awake people.

Among the statements that led to the verdict were the following: "The modern homophilia is the source and engine behind the AIDS-epidemic", and "Surely, AIDS is a punishment from God against sodomy".

The view that there should be a "death penalty for homosexual acts" has also been uttered in some messages by a guest, but these were repudiated by Leif Liljeström directly in the forum. Still, he was convicted to prison for the guest's statements.

The case, which has similarities with the case of Åke Green in Borgholm, Sweden, is to be brought before an appellate court later this year.

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