15-16 February 2011
A verdict has been passed in the case of the controversial “Islam Seminar” taught at the party academy of the right-way Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ). Judge Bettina Neubauer dismissed the charge of hate speech, however has fined the presenter of the seminar 480 Euros for denigrating and slandering Islam, due to the instructor’s insinuation that the prophet Mohammed was a pedophile. The defense has announced its intention to appeal the ruling.
Furthermore, the Office of the Federal Chancellor announced the following day that it would be withholding 1045.45 Euros from the FPÖ’s party academy budget during the next round of funding for the party institutes. The Office of the Chancellor had calculated this to be the amount spent by the FPÖ’s party academy for the funding of the controversial “Islam Seminar.”
