Sweden convicts far-right activist of hate crime over Quran burning

Sweden convicts far-right activist of hate crime over Quran burning
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A Swedish court has convicted a far-right activist of a hate crime after she burned and kicked a copy of the Holy Quran in a public square in Stockholm in 2024, an incident that sparked widespread condemnation.

The Stockholm District Court handed down a suspended prison sentence on Friday against 50-year-old activist Jade Sandberg and ordered her to pay a fine of 3,000 Swedish kronor, equivalent to approximately €275. The court also required her to contribute 1,000 kronor to the Crime Victims Fund and pay 17,000 kronor, around €1,500, towards legal defence costs covered by the state.

The case dates back to August 24, 2024, when Sandberg burned and kicked a copy of the Holy Quran at Odenplan Square in central Stockholm. She broadcast the incident live on her social media accounts, prompting widespread public outrage and complaints to Swedish authorities.

However, the court acquitted Sandberg of a separate charge relating to anti-Muslim statements she made during a gathering outside a Stockholm mosque in 2025. During the event, she reportedly called for Muslims to be absent from the streets. The court did not consider those remarks sufficient grounds for a criminal conviction.

The ruling therefore concerns exclusively the Quran-burning incident in 2024, while the separate allegations relating to her statements outside the mosque resulted in an acquittal.