| advertisement |
|
|
| advertisement |
|
|
|
| Swedish government closes down right wing party’s website
|
|
| Page tools |
 |
|
|
|
The internet site of a far right Swedish political party, has been closed down by its web host after being contacted by officials from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Swedish Security Services.
Levonline shut the homepage of the Sweden Democrats and its internet paper SD-Kuriren, which reproduced at least one of the Mohammed cartoons originally published by the Danish newspaper Jyllandsposten last autumn
An official from the Swedish Security Services, a public body with the task of preventing and detecting of offences against national security, told Swedish radio: “We have been working lately on this issue. This includes talking to various actors. With regards to the current threat we are seeing we are unable to give further comments.”
No pressure
Minister of Foreign Affairs Laila Freivalds has denied that the Swedish government has exerted pressure on the web host. She told the media that the cartoons were “offensive to other peoples’ religious beliefs” and admitted to the media that she was concerned that that these cartoons may damage Sweden.
In an official statement, Minister Freivalds said that she “strongly condemns the provocation by [the extreme right wing paper] SD-Kuriren.”
“It is deplorable that a small group of extremists expose Swedish citizens and Swedish interests to clear danger. Considering the current inflamed atmosphere, I take a very serious view of this.”
Media concern
Members of the media and the political opposition are now concerned to find out if the government has exerted pressure and infringed upon freedom of expression in Sweden to avoid being dragged further into the Mohammed cartoon controversy that is raging in the Moslem world.
On February 15, Swedish Prime Minister Goran Persson expressed his disapproval of the Foreign Ministry official who had contacted the web host about the Mohammed cartoons. However, he asserted that the official had acted on his own accord and his actions and the closing of the website had not been sanctioned by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The leader of the Liberal Party Lars Leijonborg has now referred the matter to the Constitutional Committee to investigate whether the government has broken the constitution for the freedom of the press.
Although Denmark and Norway, where the Mohammed cartons have been published, are the countries in Scandinavia whose citizens and embassies have been the main targets of Muslim violence, the Swedish government advises its citizens to avoid traveling to Syria, Lebanon, Gaza and the West Bank, where violent demonstrations have culminated in attacks on Swedish embassies and offices.
|
|
 |
|