Earlier this month, it was revealed that Adam “Nergal” Darski, frontman of Polish satanic death metal act Behemoth, had been hit with new blasphemy charges for “offending religious feelings” due to a picture on his Facebook where he was standing on an illustration of the Virgin Mary. Now, it’s come out that Nergal has been convicted of these charges.
According to a Google translation of Polish site Anty Radio, investigations were led into Nergal’s case by Ordo Iuris and the Patriotic Society, both ultra-conservative groups within Poland. The vocalist has been fined PLN 15,000 (roughly $4,000), not to mention having to pay an additional PLN 3,500 in court costs.
Jerzy Kwaśniweski, an attorney for the Ordo Iuris, writes, “As you can see, it’s a prescriptive sentence. It probably initiates further proceedings. But, in the spirit of the judgments of the Strasbourg Tribunal and the Constitutional Tribunal, I can say that we have put in place penal norms to protect religious peace by rejecting anti-religious hatred. This is an important change.”
According to a Google Chrome translation of the Polish publication Super Express, “Adam D. is accused of, on September 25, 2019, acting via the internet, publicly insulting the object of Christian religious worship in the form of the person of the Mother of God, by placing a photo on the Facebook social network, on its official profile. presenting a damaged picture showing the image of the Mother of God with a shoe-legged figure placed in the place of the indicated figure, which was described by ’On the set’, thus offending the religious feelings of four people.”
Check out the post in question below:
On the set
Posted by Adam Nergal Darski on Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Currently, Darski plans to appeal the decision. How that will unfold remains to be seen.
Meanwhile, European fans can catch Behemoth with Arch Enemy, Carcass, and Unto Others at one of the following dates:
Sep. 28 – IE – Dublin, Olympia Theatre
Sep. 30 – UK – Glasgow, O2 Academy Glasgow
Oct. 01 – UK – Manchester, O2 Academy Manchester
Oct. 02 – UK – Birmingham, O2 Academy Birmingham
Oct. 03 – UK – London, O2 Academy Brixton
Oct. 05 – FR – Paris, Le Zénith
Oct. 06 – FR – Toulouse, Le Bikini
Oct. 08 – PT – Lisbon, Sala Tejo
Oct. 09 – ES – Madrid, Palacio Vistalegre
Oct. 10 – ES – Barcelona, Palau Sant Jordi
Oct. 12 – FR – Lyon, Le Radiant
Oct. 13 – IT – Milano, Alcatraz
Oct. 15 – DE – Berlin, Columbiahalle
Oct. 16 – CZ – Prague, Tipsport Arena
Oct. 17 – PL – Katowice, MCK
Oct. 19 – HU – Budapest, Barba Negra
Oct. 20 – AT – Vienna, Gasometer
Oct. 22 – DE – Ludwigsburg, MHP Arena
Oct. 23 – NL – Den Bosch, Mainstage Brabanthallen
Oct. 24 – BE – Brussels, Forest National
Oct. 26 – CH – Zurich, Samsung Hall
Oct. 27 – DE – Frankfurt, Jahrhunderthalle
Oct. 29 – DE – Munich, Zenith
Oct. 30 – DE – Düsseldorf, Mitsubishi Electric Halle
Oct. 31 – DE – Hamburg, edel-optics.de Arena
Nov. 01 – SE – Gothenburg, Partille Arena
Nov. 03 – FI – Helsinki, Ice Hall
Nov. 05 – SE – Stockholm, Annexet
Nov. 06 – DK – Copenhagen, Forum
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Words by Chris Krovatin
