French Court Finds Varg Vikernes Guilty of Inciting Racial Hatred and Exalting War Crimes on the Internet

A French court has found Varg Vikernes has been found guilty of inciting racial hatred and exalting war crimes on the Internet, Norway’s The Local Reports. The forever-controversial musician has been sentenced  to a six-month suspended prison term, and will be forced to pay a fine of  €8,000 (roughly $10,000).

Vikernes and his wife, Marie Cachet, were arrested last summer on suspicion of planning a “massacre” and being “likely to prepare a large-scale act of terrorism.” While they were released shortly thereafter, in October, French authorities charged Varg with posting anti-Semitic and xenophobic blogs on the internet, which is illegal in that country. When the trial began last month, Vikernes blamed the blog on impersonators, claiming that “at any given moment 350 people pretending to be Varg Vikernes on Facebook.” But the court apparently didn’t buy that defense.

Interestingly enough, The Local says that “Vikernes, 41, was not present in court and neither was his lawyer as the verdict was delivered.”

Presumably, he’ll release some kind of statement soon. Stay tuned…

Thanks: Robin F.