WARSAW, Poland – Polish “death metal” vocalist Adam Darski was found innocent Thursday of insulting religious feelings after he shredded a Bible during a concert in 2007.
Darski, of the metal band Behemoth, had thrown ripped pages of the Bible into the audience at a concert in Gdynia, Poland, calling Christianity the “biggest criminal sect” and the Bible an “untruthful book.” Fans later burned the shreds.
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The court in Gdynia cleared Darski, whose stage name is Nergal, and said his actions were a “form of art.” The court added that fans who were Christians testified that they had not been offended at the concert.
Ryszard Nowak, head of the All-Polish Committee for Defense Against Sects, said he would appeal the court’s decision.
“The court ruled that it’s only art and that Adam Darski could do anything because he’s an artist,” Nowak told the Polish Press Agency PAP. “Does that mean that artists are above the law?”
Four members of Poland’s conservative Law and Justice Party had asked prosecutors in January 2010 to investigate the incident. The party said it wanted the front man to apologize.
The committee had previously sued Darski for promoting Satanism by tearing up the Bible, but that case was dismissed.
Ridley Scott will direct a follow-up to ‘Blade Runner’
LOS ANGELES – Ridley Scott will direct a follow-up to his 1982 cult-classic “Blade Runner,” producers on the new film said Thursday.
The untitled movie is not considered a remake but will take the form of either a sequel or a prequel to the science-fiction original, said Alcon Entertainment, the Hollywood company that had previously acquired rights to the first movie. A screenwriter is expected to be hired shortly, and the aim is to enter production in 2013, Alcon said.
The original “Blade Runner,” which underperformed at the box office but found an audience on home video and television, starred Harrison Ford as Rick Deckard, a police officer in a dystopian Los Angeles hunting for illegal “replicants,” robots.
Ford is not expected to be involved in the new version.
Father, son arrested for harassing Palin
ALLENTOWN, Pa. – A father and son from Pennsylvania were arrested Thursday at the Allentown FBI office on charges of harassing Sarah Palin, the former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate.
Craig Christy, 47, and his son Shawn Christy, 22, were arrested just after 11 a.m. EDT, according to a news release from the FBI.
On Wednesday, federal indictments were issued by an Alaska grand jury, the release states. The indictments charge Craig and Shawn Christy with harassing Palin, her family members and attorneys through phone calls.
Federal court records were not immediately available.
Last year, Palin was granted a restraining order against Shawn Christy of McAdoo, Pa., who allegedly had been threatening and stalking her since summer 2009.
In an interview last October with The Hazleton Standard-Speaker, Shawn Christy said he tried to contact Palin and former U.S. presidential candidate U.S. Sen. John McCain because he believed the U.S. Secret Service had tampered with his cellphone.
Shawn Christy said he began making threats to get their attention and have his phone fixed.
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