Swedish Foreign Minister resigned following pressure on website

Laila Freivalds, the Swedish Foreign Minister resigned on 21 March after
having been cornered by the press on her involvement in the closure on 9
February of a far-right party’s website.

The Web site, which was planning to publish caricatures of Muhammad like
those that led to deadly protests by Muslims all over the world, was
contacted by a top Foreign Ministry official who said it should be closed
for security reasons.

Although, in the beginning, the minister denied having known about the
official’s action and having exerted pressure on the hosting company, a
later report from the ministry said she had been involved in the decision.

The minister told the media that the cartoons were “offensive to other
peoples’ religious beliefs” and admitted to the media that she was concerned
that these cartoons may damage Sweden. Critics considered this action as
an attack to freedom of speech.

Sweden’s government is forbidden by law to interfere with what is written in
newspapers and on the Internet.

Sweden FM quits over cartoon row (21.03.2006)
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4828052.stm

Swedish Foreign Minister Laila Freivalds Resigns (21.03.2006)
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000085&sid=axCmZPNbpAF4&refer=europe