A Danish court has issued a verdict for the first time under the new so-called “Quran law.” The Bornholm court fined two men, one the leader of an anti-Islam party, 10,000 Danish kroner (about 1340 euros) each for desecrating the Quran.

The men violated a law banning the improper treatment of religious texts, which came into effect in December 2023. The case stems from an event held back in June 2023 titled “Shall We Burn the Quran?”

During the political event, the defendants ripped pages from an English-language Quran and threw the book into a puddle.

Supporters of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam party protest in Karachi on July 23, 2023, against Quran burnings in Sweden and Denmark. (Photo: AFP)

One of the men was Rasmus Paludan, leader of the far-right Stram Kurs (Hard Line) party. Paludan, known for his anti-Islam actions and frequently criticized for them, and his associate were each sentenced to a fine of 1,000 DKK (about €1,340) per person per day for 10 days.

Both defendants described their act as a performance art piece and denied any criminal intent.

Immediately after the verdict, Paludan announced on the X platform that he would appeal the ruling, according to Danish news outlet The Local.

Danish politician Rasmus Paludan, chair of ‘Stram Kurs’, has been found guilty of ‘improper treatment’ of a religious text. The case is the first of its kind after Danish Parliament passed the so-called ‘Quran Law’ in 2023.
More below (in Danish)https://t.co/N0VJLrfHwi#dkpol

— IPC Denmark (@IPC_DK) May 16, 2025

In the summer of 2023, Quran burnings in Sweden and Denmark triggered strong reactions across Muslim-majority countries, leading to diplomatic crises. In response, the Danish Parliament passed a law at the end of 2023 that criminalizes the ‘improper treatment’ of religious texts deemed central to religious communities.