BEHEMOTH BIBLE TRIAL = CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATION

I jock Behemoth frontman Adam “Nergal” Darski quite hard always (eg. here and here), but even I neglected to notice that his defamation case was headed back to court on appeal. Last year the case against Nergal was dismissed upon the finding that no crime took place when the adult, human person tore up a religious text in front of an audience of paying, consenting people in 2007. Tough call not really.

But yeah as implied, the case has been appealed up to the Gdansk regional court and today our brah Nergal was again compelled to explain that he shouldn’t be imprisoned for expressing his personal views to people who implicitly requested that he do so. For 90 minutes. On stage and into a microphone. And fuck regardless where the bible-dissing happened, a finding against Nergal is tantamount to religious persecution and I hereby call on world governments and humanitarian organizations to threaten an international boycott of Poland in the event that this horseshit costs Nergal even a minute in jail or a single zloty.

Think about it, Gdansk regional judicial system. You do not want to be the cause of a global halt to your entire nation’s trade of sausages, spring water, and jokes about dumb people. (Behemoth and other metal merchants are exempt from sanction, natch.) Check out Nergal’s finely articulated counterpunches on this crock:

• Nergal confirms the accuracy of his opposition’s report of the events: He tore a bible up, called it a “book of lies.” Duh, it’s captured on video.
• Speaking of video, that “evidence” was acquired illegally; Nergal states that each ticket alerted concertgoers to the prohibition of any recording equipment.
• Nergal acknowledges that his persecutors are fishing. What do they want? Power? Publicity? To seem less like mentals by launching a show-off assault on a ostensibly weaker target? Whatever. His response: “The only people who were offended were not at the concert.” So, like, mind your own business, religious fanatics; we metal people don’t file suit to stop all that Satan-bashing at your parties. Do unto others, dudes.
• Hey assholes, says Nergal, I don’t have to agree with your beliefs to be a good, loved person. That’s a paraphrasing. What he actually said: “I am a free man living — I hope — in a free country. Although I do not publicly recognize the principals outlined in the Bible or the Ten Commandments, that does not mean that I am not a decent and useful human being.”

View the Polish TV report here.

-ADF

Behemoth is rehearsing for their first shows since Nergal’s illness. Tour dates here.