Poland Supreme Court Allows Conviction for Rock Singer Tearing Up Bible

Laws against offending religious sensibiities

Poland's Supreme Court concluded on Monday that a person may be found guilty of offending religious sensibilities even if the defendant had not "directly" intended to do so.

The court was examining the matter in relation to an appeal against the 2011 aquittal of Robert Darski – frontman of internationally renowned rock group Behemoth - who tore up a copy of the bible on stage.

Darski's case will now be re-examined by a district court.

During the 2011 hearing, Darski's lawyers had argued successively that the 2007 concert was for a closed group of fans who had not been offended by the musician's behaviour.