BEHEMOTH Frontman Suing Head Of Polish Anti-Sect Committee For Libel, Slander

December 11, 2008

According to Metal Portal, BEHEMOTH mainman Adam "Nergal" Darski has filed a libel lawsuit against the head of the All-Polish Committee for Defence against Sects, Ryszard Nowak. Nergal claims that Nowak slandered him in an interview with Gazeta Swietojanska (watch interview in two parts below),repeatedly calling the BEHEMOTH frontman a criminal.

Darski is demanding a written apology from Nowak, to be published in Gazeta Wyborcza, one of the Poland's biggest daily newspapers, and three thousand zloty (approximately $1,000),which Nergal plans to donate to the animal shelter Ciapkowo in Gdynia. Nowak, on the other hand, says that he has no intention of apologizing to Nergal, explaining that this would give all musicians worshiping Satan the green light to do as they please while performing on stage — to burn crosses, destroy the Bible or just offend Christians. "I'd rather go to prison," Nowak says.

The first hearing in the case was held late last month in Gdansk Court. However, the process has been postponed to March 11, 2009. Nergal's lawyer, Maciej Szudek, has asked for more time in order to prepare a response to Nowak's arguments.

Nowak registered an official complaint with the authorities in Poland regarding a BEHEMOTH concert that took place in September 2007 in the Polish city of Gdynia that included the destruction of a Bible by Darski. During a break in the show, Nergal apparently called the Catholic Church "the most murderous cult on the planet" before tearing up the Bible, stating, "they call it the Holy Book, I call this the book of lies. Fuck the shit, fuck the hypocrisy." (Fan-filmed video footage of the Bible-tearing incident can be viewed below; watch around the 45-second mark.) In February of 2008, an investigation into the matter was launched by the Gdynia Public Prosecutor's Office, only to be terminated three months later.

Nowak is no stranger to controversy, having previously compiled a list of artists who allegedly "promote Satanism" through their music and distributed it to various Polish officials in an attempt to get the artists banned from performing in Poland.

Nergal previously stated about Nowak's efforts to get BEHEMOTH banned from performing in the group's home country, "I am shocked; this must be some kind of joke. We've been touring around the whole world — United States, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Russia — and we've not had any problems anywhere. I am surprised that we are being judged by our appearance and that no one even took the time to contact us and ask us what our music is all about. Other than that, come on — there are enough serious matters to be dealt with in Poland! The authorities would be better off spending their time on things that really need to be improved and taken care of."

BEHEMOTH's Adam "Nergal" Darski tearing up the Bible:

Ryszard Nowak talking to Gazeta Swietojanska about BEHEMOTH's Adam "Nergal" Darski:

Part 1:

Part 2:

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