Hate Speech Allegations Against Swedish MP Mattias Karlsson
Swedish MP Mattias Karlsson faces police allegations for hate speech against Jewish demonstrators.
- • Karlsson described demonstrators as 'beasts' on social media.
- • Judisk antisionistisk allians filed a police report against him.
- • Alexandra Esser criticized the dehumanizing language used by Karlsson.
- • Moderaternas press service stated legal processes would proceed independently.
Key details
Mattias Karlsson, a member of Sweden's parliament representing the Moderaterna party, faces hate speech allegations after referring to participants of a demonstration outside a Jewish cultural center as "odjur" (beasts). The activist group Judisk antisionistisk allians filed a police report against him following these comments, which have sparked considerable backlash. Alexandra Esser, an organizer of the demonstration, condemned Karlsson's rhetoric, labeling it as dangerous and a historical tool used to justify the oppression of political opponents, particularly in relation to Jews. She emphasized the severity of using such dehumanizing language against a group with a longstanding history of persecution.
Moderaternas press service has stated that any legal proceedings should unfold independently, affirming they will not disrupt Karlsson's work in parliament at this stage. Additionally, Utrikesminister Maria Malmer Stenergard defended her decision to share Karlsson's post, claiming her right to engage in free speech regarding the demonstration’s appropriateness. Efforts to confirm the police report with authorities and the activist group remain unverified as of now.