Behemoth - Court Rules Against Frontman In Bible-Tearing Case
Polskie Radio is reporting that Poland's Supreme Court has ruled that Behemoth's frontman Adam "Nergal" Darski, may have committed a crime when he called the Catholic Church "the most murderous cult on the planet" during the band's September 2007 performance in Gdynia, Poland, and tore up a copy of the Bible calling it "a book full of lies."
The court was examining the matter in relation to an appeal against the 2011 aquittal of Nergal. The maximum penalty in Poland for offending religious sensibilities is a two-year prison sentence. The case will now be examined by a district court in Gdansk.
Consequently, a person may be found guilty of offending religious sensibilities even if the defendant had not "directly" intended to do so.
During the 2011 hearing, Darski's lawyers had argued successively that the 2007 concert was for a closed group of fans who had not been offended by the musician's behaviour.
Furthermore, the court accepted that the singer's actions were a kind of "artistic" performance, and that the singer had not "directly" aimed at offending religious sensibilities.
"The crime of offending religious sensibilities is committed not only by he who intends to carry it out, but also by he who is aware that his actions may lead to offence being taken," the court concluded.
Darski had been brought to court by former MP Ryszard Nowak, chairman of the privately run Nationwide Defence Committee against Sects. Following yesterday's hearing, Nowak declared his satisfaction with the ruling.
After emerging from court, Darski said that on the one hand "one should respect the court's verdict." But he also said that his country's mentality "is immature, trying to gag people," and that he was in court for "the good cause", namely the right to "freedom of speech."
The court was examining the matter in relation to an appeal against the 2011 aquittal of Nergal. The maximum penalty in Poland for offending religious sensibilities is a two-year prison sentence. The case will now be examined by a district court in Gdansk.
Consequently, a person may be found guilty of offending religious sensibilities even if the defendant had not "directly" intended to do so.
During the 2011 hearing, Darski's lawyers had argued successively that the 2007 concert was for a closed group of fans who had not been offended by the musician's behaviour.
Furthermore, the court accepted that the singer's actions were a kind of "artistic" performance, and that the singer had not "directly" aimed at offending religious sensibilities.
"The crime of offending religious sensibilities is committed not only by he who intends to carry it out, but also by he who is aware that his actions may lead to offence being taken," the court concluded.
Darski had been brought to court by former MP Ryszard Nowak, chairman of the privately run Nationwide Defence Committee against Sects. Following yesterday's hearing, Nowak declared his satisfaction with the ruling.
After emerging from court, Darski said that on the one hand "one should respect the court's verdict." But he also said that his country's mentality "is immature, trying to gag people," and that he was in court for "the good cause", namely the right to "freedom of speech."
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071  |
Written by Unhealer on 30.10.2012 at 19:47 aha I see what you mean. But why I think he did it on the Argentinian date(s) of the tour is because he thought he would stir up the same sort of shitstorm as in Poland, but, luckily, that didn't happen. But he knew nothing like the Poland controversy would happen in The Netherlands so he didn't do it there. It really is clear that NERGAL is one of the BIGGEST HYPOCRITES around.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996 
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| Unhealer Eclecticist Posts: 2311  |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 30.10.2012 at 19:54 Haha, I think nobody did even know they were playing here (or who they were for that matter) except for the aprox. 500 guys that attended the concert  If you look up on youtube, you can see videos of several venues where he did bible bashing.Whether he does it for art or for drawing attention, I don't believe he carefully choose where to do it and where not based on the repercussion it'd have, whatever the actual criteria was. I don't think national media would give a fuck about something like this elsewhere than in their homeland.
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| AngelofDeth Cyborg Raptor Posts: 1183  |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 30.10.2012 at 19:39 Its not just that, its about making a statement. He does it in countries that dont approve because it should be allowable to do. So really the polish gov. is just creating more hate and ignorance by punishing him for this. If they allowed him to tear the bible he wouldnt feel the need to do it as much. If they were less part of gov, Nergal would be way less anti-christian. Its the statement that hes portraying is what matters to him.
---- pewpew.. gotcha
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| Marcel Hubregtse Grumpy Old Fuck Elite Posts: 40071 |
Written by AngelofDeth on 30.10.2012 at 20:34 I disagree, if it was about making a statement he would have done it a long time ago already and not only the past couple of years.
---- Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.) 05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 62008  |
Written by jupitreas on 30.10.2012 at 17:40 Jup - I mean most undepmocratic where deal is make fun about church like this case I have no clue about how strong is homosexual wrights and abortion but this case like in EU IMO when deal is church judging its not strong democracy there and when deal is whit this band somehow church re acts + there was some BM band concerts canceled what I have read in MS.... so rest of countries in N Europe are more free there is no laws who stop this I dont wanna go off to , but that banner in Wasrhawa and how some rus re act and get free whit out fines , well if there is law there is law , I dont like when its been changed because of some event and some groop bla bla about violence , AIK was in Poznan , Helsinborg was Wrozlaw , , Lech boys was in Solna and some Wrozlaw guys wenmt to Helsinkborg even was banned from one away mach Its in latvia to part who in old days was under polish rule, maybe Lithuania to where priests has more popular and more power in society in my home town I dont remeber old prest but new one was clown not respected and all church singers was easy women when they were young and secretly like drink ... our priest was before tranbsformed to my viliadge a priest in prison , In Swe hmmmm I doubt any priest ha sinfluence in society But all has in youth hands .... Marcel - if Begemoth be dutch band and would do same , I doubt there ever be any action, specely punnishment
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"  I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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| ?apleee Mouthcrab Posts: 260  |
Written by rpsgc on 30.10.2012 at 13:13 This isn't Stormfront. Keep your racist bullshit out of this.
---- "Without judgement, perception would increase a million times."~Chuck Schuldiner Less coherent than Anal Cunt. Eric Brecht once liked my Facebook comment. Therefore, by the translative property, Chuck Schuldiner like my comment.
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| psykometal A staff guy... Elite Posts: 6101  |
I saw some other pics from the trial, love that he decided to wear a Watain shirt into court hearing about religious sentiment...
---- ~Zep, Database and Forum Moderation~ 
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| Spirit Molecule spirit molecule Posts: 1918  |
This stupid shit cost us a show!!! Fucking cunts! Anyway, who cares whether he did it for publicity or he did it coz he actually hates religion. There are so many bands who do things just for the shock value or do something just to get publicity. I still think that it is quite stupid that they are charging him for it. From what I heard they are trying to show it as a work of art, or something like that so that it can get thrown out of court?
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| Martinikuss Posts: 142  |
Destroying Biblie - ok destroying Koran - not ok -> riots, bombs and killed people wtf ?
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 62008 |
Written by psykometal on 30.10.2012 at 21:42 well etlesst he alreday has short hair .... not hwos typid Varg cut off hair because of cort(that was what I reed about it)
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die" I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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| Tenski Posts: 90  |
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| AngelofDeth Cyborg Raptor Posts: 1183 |
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 30.10.2012 at 20:36 the charge is from 2007.. so obviously its been more than a couple years. I do admit he is a bit of a dramaqueen but i see the other side of it too. Written by Spirit Molecule on 30.10.2012 at 21:42 Thats a good point, the shock factor has always been apart of rock and consequently metal as well.
---- pewpew.. gotcha
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| Inauditus Posts: 5  |
Okay, how is it possible to offend religious sensibilities when religion isn't sensible in the first place?
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| M C Vice ex-polydactyl Posts: 3407  |
Do Polish judges really look like that? They look more like cardinals.
---- "I'm here to nunchuck and not wear helmets. And I'm all out of helmets." "I'll fight you on one condition. That you lower your nipples." " 'Tis a lie! Thy backside is whole and ungobbled, thou ungrateful whelp!"
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| Daniell _爱情_ Elite Posts: 6101  |
Written by M C Vice on 31.10.2012 at 10:03 you obviously haven't seen British judges
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| M C Vice ex-polydactyl Posts: 3407 |
Written by Daniell on 31.10.2012 at 10:09 They're like ours, aren't they? With the wigs and black robes (dresses, lets be honest).
---- "I'm here to nunchuck and not wear helmets. And I'm all out of helmets." "I'll fight you on one condition. That you lower your nipples." " 'Tis a lie! Thy backside is whole and ungobbled, thou ungrateful whelp!"
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| Daniell _爱情_ Elite Posts: 6101 |
Written by M C Vice on 31.10.2012 at 12:02 Yes, that's about it. As for the robes. It's worth knowing that trousers as such are not the oldest form of attire. Admittedly, the first trousers were worn hundreds of years BC (if my memory serves me right, they're from the middle east, where they were initially worn by riders, for obviously practical reasons). But all men of substance for thousands of years wore all kinds of robes, and trousers were only situational. Since courts in every possible country put strong emphasis on tradition, it is only logical that traditional clothes are worn there.
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| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 62008 |
Finaly EU 1-0 Polish Chatolic church .... disturbing the priest in ass http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-20143558
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die" I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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| MetalHead74 Posts: 16  |
Written by AngelofDeth on 30.10.2012 at 20:34 I think he just added that to his show because he wanted someting new, that's it. I saw him a few years back and he tore a bible up on stage and I live in Montreal, Canada, over here you can say whatever the fuck you want
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| rpsgc Posts: 42  |
Written by ?apleee on 30.10.2012 at 21:17 Look out, we got a bad-ass here! Does your mommy know you use bad words? You must be one of those people who think Islam is a race. How cute.
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| ?apleee Mouthcrab Posts: 260 |
Written by rpsgc on 03.11.2012 at 00:51 Oh, great idea! ITT: Irrelevent comments which sympathize with neckbeard racism (preferable your own.)
---- "Without judgement, perception would increase a million times."~Chuck Schuldiner Less coherent than Anal Cunt. Eric Brecht once liked my Facebook comment. Therefore, by the translative property, Chuck Schuldiner like my comment.
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| Raging Dreamer Posts: 357  |
Erm. Can we get back on topic here? It's really too bad that there aren't more allowances for artistic freedom of speech... His is not the only case like this and it affects all of us really, especially those who create art of any kind. Our voices are being stifled because we're not allowed to do just whatever we want in our art. Very sad.
---- [url]www.mistressofpoetry.wordpress.com[/url] [url]www.mymorningcupofsolitude.wordpress.com[/url]
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| Reverend X Posts: 60  |
Is there any site, blogs, forums, groups or organization where you can freely criticize the church?
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