A Norwegian rap group is facing criminal charges for setting up a website called killhim.nu that urged web readers to offer money towards a bounty on U.S. President George W. Bush, recently elected to a second term.
“Shooting this man is not just self defense, but is the only reasonable thing to do,” the site read.
Washington’s Oslo embassy filed a police complaint against the rap group Gatas Parlament-meaning “Street Parliament” in English-accusing them of threatening President Bush.
The rap group’s website address, which means “kill him now,” has already been shut down.
In its place is a copy of the police order closing down the site.
The .nu appendage, which appears at the end of some website addresses based in Norway, is also the Norwegian word for “now.”
Authorities have suggested that the website was appealing for President Bush’s immediate assassination.
Gatas Parlament defended that the site was intended as a satire, a parody of another Norwegian Internet site called tellhim.no, which raised money for a U.S. advertising campaign to inform Bush that a majority of Norwegians were against the war in Iraq.
Gatas Parlament member Aslak Borgersund told a Norwegian newspaper, it was “pretty obvious to everyone who does not work for the American embassy or the police that this wasn’t about killing anyone.”
The Oslo police said they plan to investigate the police complaint and interview the rap group before determining whether to charge them.
The group could face a fine or a maximum prison sentence of two years if found guilty of making threats.
The three rappers in the band launched the killhim.nu concept at a concert in late October.
The band is made up of the brothers Elling and Aslak Borgersrud and Den Martin.
Their official website it gatasp.no.
Credit: Daveyd.com
