Prosecutor closes Swedish gay death list inquiry

An investigation into an extreme right wing Christian web site which lists 129 famous homosexual Swedes along with apparent death threats has been closed.

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The prosecutor handling the case said that last November's Supreme Court verdict clearing pastor Åke Green of 'agitation against minority groups', after he described homosexuals as "a cancer on the face of society", made it impossible for him to continue.

"As long as the threats consist of bible quotations, there's nothing I can do," said Håkan Roswall to Aftonbladet.

Under the heading "The Sodomites", the web page lists the name and occupation of the 129 individuals. The list includes actors, musicians, television presenters, politicians and priests categorised under bible quotations.

Most of the names are listed under Leviticus 20:13, which says, "If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads."

The decision to close the investigation disappointed many of those on the list.

"This is a threat I take seriously," said singer Kim Kärnfalk, who was listed under a quotation from the Book of Romans describing "sinful desires", "shameful lusts" and "unnatural relations".

Commentators told Aftonbladet that the decision was wrong and that the case was very different from that of Åke Green - a point supported by Green himself.

"I preached on the Bible's view of a lifestyle," he said.

"But this is psychological torture of a group of people. The law should prevent it."

According to gay rights campaigners the decision sent out the message that it's "OK to threaten individual homosexuals".

"It's unacceptable to allow extremists to threaten and attack individual people with reference to the Bible," said Sören Andersson, the chairman of gay rights group RFSL, in a press statement.

"To name people on a death roll must be punishable. If the Swedish law doesn't give individual people protection then it must be changed," he said.

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