January 9, 2012 | Sex & Society

British men face jail time for spreading hate

Five British Muslims are in court today on charges of inciting hatred against gays and lesbians The men were charged after they handed out leaflets saying that gays should be executed.

If convicted, the men face up to seven years in prison and an unlimited fine.

“The charges relate to the distribution of a leaflet, ‘The Death Penalty?’, outside the Jamia Mosque in Derby in July 2010 and through letterboxes during the same month," explained Sue Hemming, a lawyer for the Crown Prosecution Service. “This is the first-ever prosecution for this offence and it is the result of close working between the Crown Prosecution Service and Derbyshire Police.”

The Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008 includes the offence of intentionally stirring up hatred on the grounds of sexual orientation.

“We welcome the Attorney General’s decision to allow this prosecution to go ahead," said Stonewall chief executive Ben Summerskill, when the first charges had been laid in this case. "We lobbied for a number of years for a specific law to protect gay people, matching offences against inciting racial and religious hatred.

“Materials like the leaflets posted to homes in Derby create fear and inflame hatred and violence towards gay people. We uncovered a range of similar materials during our campaign to secure much-needed legal protections in this area.”

Five men on trial today for “gay death penalty” leaflets [Pink News]