When Speech Ceases to be Free with Elisabeth Sabaditsch Wolff

Description

Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff in recent years has educated politicians and the public in Europe about Islam, its history, and the implications of growing numbers of Muslim immigrants. For this, she was charged with “hate speech.” The effort to muzzle her required the Austrian and European legal systems to violate core principles of free speech. How and why did this happen? What does it imply? How can this trend be stopped?

Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff was charged in 2009 under Austrian law for making factually accurate assertions in delivering a private seminar on Islam. In 2011, she was convicted of “denigrating the teachings of a legally recognized religion in Austria.” She has worked as assistant to the Vice Chancellor of the Republic of Austria, at the Austrian Embassies in Kuwait, and Tripoli, Libya. Ms. Sabaditsch-Wolff holds an MA in diplomatic and strategic studies from International University Vienna.