Trial begins against men accused of plotting to kill Swedish artist

Dec 20, 2011, 14:17 GMT

Stockholm - The trial of three men accused of plotting to kill a Swedish artist who caused outrage with his 2007 depiction of the Muslim prophet Mohammed as a dog began Tuesday.

The three had planned to kill Lars Vilks in September in the western city of Gothenburg, prosecutor Agnetha Hilding Qvarnstrom told the district court in the same city.

The trio had gathered information about Vilks from various Swedish newspapers and his own blog, and were carrying knives when they were arrested, she said.

Police had also spotted them near an arts centre that was to host a contemporary art exhibition mentioned by Vilks on his blog.

On the day of the exhibition opening, one of the three men also enquired about Vilks at the venue, she said.

All three men said they knew of Vilks but denied planning to murder him even though they disliked his drawing. Their attorneys told reporters that they believed the evidence was insufficient for a conviction.

Vilks has been under police protection following death threats against him.

The prosecutor cited the example of an online magazine that stated that whoever killed Vilks could receive a reward.

Vilks was also mentioned in a statement written by a man who carried out a suicide bombing in Stockholm a year ago, the prosecutor told the court.

Qvarnstrom is involved in the probe into the suicide attack in which Taimour Abdulwahab Al-Abday, a 28-year-old of Middle Eastern descent, was the only fatality. Two bystanders were injured.