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Woman’s conviction in Austria for calling the Prophet Mohammed a paedophile did not breach her right to free speech, European Court of Human Rights rules

The woman, named as Mrs S., 47, from Vienna, held two lectures on Mohammed
During seminars she reportedly talked about his relationship with a six-year-old
At one point she was quoted as saying Mohammed 'liked to do it with children'
She was convicted by Vienna Regional Criminal Court back in 2011 for statement
Mrs S. has appealed to several Austrian courts and finally the ECHR this year

The European Court of Human Rights has ruled a woman convicted by an Austrian court of calling the Prophet Mohammed a paedophile did not have her freedom of speech rights infringed.

The woman, named only as Mrs. S, 47, from Vienna, was said to have held two seminars in which she discussed the marriage between the Prophet Mohammad and a six-year old girl, Aisha.

According to scripture the marriage was consumated when Aisha was just nine years old, leading Mrs S. to say to her class Mohammad 'liked to do it with children'.

She also reportedly said '... A 56-year-old and a six-year-old? ... What do we call it, if it is not paedophilia?' ...

'It held that by considering the impugned statements as going beyond the permissible limits of an objective debate, and by classifying them as an abusive attack on the Prophet of Islam which could stir up prejudice and threaten religious peace, the domestic courts put forward relevant and sufficient reasons.'

Mrs S. had complained to the European court that the domestic courts failed to address the substance of the impugned statements in the light of her right to freedom of expression.