Swedish journalist faces probe for anti-Muslim drawings

By Atila Altuntas

STOCKHOLM

A former editor-in-chief of a publication of the nationalist Swedish Democrats party is under investigation over sharing offensive drawings targeting Muslims, a Stockholm prosecutor said Tuesday.

Prosecutor Ann Liden announced a probe was underway against Jan Sjunnesson, the former top editor of the political magazine Samtiden, over two drawings he posted on Facebook.

Liden said Sjunnesson may face a lawsuit for inciting hatred, a charge he has denied over social media following a police interrogation, arguing the drawings were satirical in terms of freedom of speech.

Sjunnesson published the drawings of two imaginary book covers titled "Mustafa wants to come along", where the cover shows children hurling stones at a girl, and "With Grandpa at Work", in which two men are torturing another with a whip.