Behemoth frontman Nergal has said justice has “prevailed” after he was acquitted of “offending religious feelings” in his native Poland.
In 2018, the singer – real name Adam Darski – posted a video for International Women’s Day in which he waved around a penis-shaped sex toy with a representation of the crucifix on it, while singing a children’s song.
The post resulted in Darski being charged for violating Poland’s anti-blasphemy laws, which state: “Whoever offends religious feelings of other people by publicly insulting an object of religious cult or a place for public holding of religious ceremonies, is subject to a fine, restriction of liberty or loss of liberty for up to 2 years.”
Last month, Darski was acquitted on two charges, with a third being conditionally dropped. On Saturday (March 8), he took to Instagram to post his response to the news, asserting that he believes the case should never have made it to court.
“In 2018, on this very day, I posted a silly video on Instagram, singing an old children’s song for Women’s Day while waving a certain artifact,” he wrote. “Hardly high comedy, but was it blasphemous or shocking? I didn’t think so – but it was enough for a few clowns on the other side to take offense and run straight to court.”
“A certain conservative MEP loudly vowed I’d end up in prison, while the ever-litigious [conservative legal firm] Ordo Iuris joined the choir of the outraged. After years in court and tens of thousands zlotis spent on legal defense, I was fully acquitted just days ago.”
He continued: “The verdict is a bittersweet victory tho. I’m glad justice prevailed, glad I put my opponents in their place. But I still consider it as an absurd that a mediocre joke in this country can spiral into a costly, nerve-wracking legal battle.”
“PS. The artifact in question is a stunning sculpture by my friend and Black Metal legend, Tom Gabriel Fischer. Right now, my lawyers are working to have it returned to me, as it was a personal gift from him.”
Nergal has run into trouble with Poland’s blasphemy laws multiple times in the past. In 2021, for instance, he was fined over £3,000 for stomping on an artwork depicting the Virgin Mary and posting it on Facebook.
In 2010, he stood trial for blasphemy for tearing a bible on stage, eventually winning the case, while in 2019, he was kicked out of a YMCA gym in the US for not worshipping Jesus Christ.
In May, Behemoth will release their 13th studio album ‘The Shit Ov God’ via Nuclear Blast Records. Speaking about the provocative title, Nergal said: “We chose this provocative title deliberately, rejecting subtlety in favor of a direct and polarizing statement. It’s a defiant plunge into the depths, daring to seek the absolute even in the gutter.”
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