Swedish Court Overturns Pastor’s ‘Hate Crime’ Conviction     2/11/2005 By Robert Knight Ake Green had faced month in prison for preaching on homosexuality in his own pulpit. Citing international law, a Swedish court today overturned the “hate crime” conviction of Pentecostal Pastor Ake Green, whose case had come to symbolize Christians’ fears over the misuse of such laws. Concerned Women for America (CWA) was alerted to the verdict by our good friend, Charlie Hoare, who heads the international section of the London-based pro-family group CARE. In 2003, Swedish lawmakers passed a sweeping "hate crimes" law forbidding any criticism of homosexuality. That summer, Green was arrested at a church in Kalmar, Sweden, and charged with "hate speech against homosexuals" for a sermon about homosexuality. The church newspaper Kyrkans Tidning reported that prosecutor Kjell Yngvesson justified the arrest this way: "One may have whatever religion one wishes, but this is an attack on all fronts against homosexuals. Collecting Bible cites on this topic as he (Pastor Green) does makes this hate speech." While CWA is happy for Pastor Green and applauds the appeals court’s verdict, “This abominable prosecution should have been prohibited by Sweden's highest law,” said Jan LaRue, CWA’s chief counsel. “It's very troubling that recourse depended on an appeal to a treaty.” CWA is working with CARE and other pro-family groups to oppose a United Nations resolution that would add “sexual orientation” to the U.N.’s human rights code, and give homosexual activists a vehicle to promote “hate crimes” laws, homosexual “marriage” and pro-homosexual school and corporate policies. “In this instance, a case watched by the world, an international treaty was relied upon to correct an injustice,” said CWA’s Senior Policy Director Wendy Wright. “However, without an international spotlight, other Christians might not find themselves so vindicated. And if the United Nations passes a resolution declaring sexual orientation a ‘human right,’ it may provide a foothold for wayward judges to declare that sexual rights trump religious rights. Pastor Green valiantly exposed the danger of governments declaring sexual orientation a right, but the baton is now in our hands.” Mr. Hoare references the upcoming U.N. debate in his letter about the Green verdict below, which we print in full: Dear Friends, So many of you have been praying for Pastor Ake Green who was convicted last year and sentenced to one month's imprisonment for preaching about homosexuality. I am thrilled to say that a few hours ago in Sweden the regional appeal court overturned the judgment of the lower court and quashed Pastor Green's conviction. His conviction and one-month sentence handed down by a lower court last year were quashed. At the appeal, the prosecution was seeking to increase Pastor Green's sentence to six months in jail. In their very strong and clear judgment, the appeal court judges held that pastors and preachers are protected by the European Convention on Human Rights and that this includes the preaching of and interpretation of the Bible even if in doing so they offend individuals or groups. CARE is delighted with this news, which represents a significant victory for freedom of religion in Sweden. Although this judgment may be appealed to the Swedish Supreme Court, the judgment is so clear that it seems unlikely. The National Prosecutor will need to apply to the Supreme Court for leave to appeal in the next month. Please give thanks with us that so many prayers for Pastor Green have been answered and pray that this case will reassure those seeking to remain faithful to the Bible in their preaching both in Sweden and in other countries in Europe. Significantly, this decision comes a month before this debate resumes at the U.N. Human Rights Commission in Geneva and will serve as an important example of the need to protect religious freedom. Unfortunately, the debate in this forum has not proved so reasonable and we will have a significant opposition in March and April. Please continue to pray that the Brazilian Resolution on Sexual Orientation will not succeed. Warmest regards, Charlie Charlie Hoare Head of International Policy & UN Representative CARE London, United Kingdom