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full screen Far-right politician Rasmus Paludan at a public gathering on Brantevikstorg in Malmö on September 6, 2022. He has been charged with incitement against a ethnic group and insult. Archive image. Photo: Johan Nilsson/TT
When the Malmö district court calls the far-right politician Rasmus Paludan to serve him with charges, he hangs up. On Friday, the statute of limitations expires for one of the crimes he is charged with.
Paludan is charged with two counts of incitement against a ethnic group and insult. For the latter crime, a two-year statute of limitations applies and this means that he must be served no later than Friday if he is to be sentenced for it.
– As of today, we have not received any customary confirmation of service, says chief councilor Nicklas Söderberg.
First, the service goes out by post and the recipient is expected to confirm in writing that it has been received. The next step is to try to serve by phone, but when Paludan realizes that the call is coming from the court, he immediately hangs up.
The court has made several telephone attempts and also requested help from the Copenhagen police with service, as Paludan lives there. But so far the confirmation has not come.
In the end, it is up to the court whether Paludan is still to be considered served.
– Whether he is served or not, that is an assessment. It is a free trial of evidence as to whether it can be considered that it has been established that he has been served or not, says Nicklas Söderberg.
For incitement against a ethnic group, the statute of limitations is five years.