The Associated Press: A Swedish pastor convicted of spreading hate by denouncing homosexuality in a sermon asked an appeals court Jan. 19 to overturn his conviction and the 30-day prison sentence he received.
Aake Green, 63, was sentenced to a month in prison in June 2004 under the country's hate crimes law after he cited Biblical scripture to condemn homosexuality during a church service, calling it "a deep cancer tumor on all of society" and warning that Sweden risked a natural disaster because of its tolerance for gays and lesbians.
Green, who also said AIDS has its roots in homosexuality, was convicted in a district court after the prosecutor, Kjell Yngvesson, argued that Green "expressed disdain for the homosexuals as a group" and compared his sermon to a racist shouting a Nazi salute.
The case has drawn attention in Sweden and abroad with churches, religious groups and free-speech advocates calling Green's conviction a direct challenge to freedom of speech and religion. During the hearing, dozens of demonstrators gathered outside the court, some carrying signs in support of Green, others against him.
