Danish authorities have filed the first charges under the country’s newly enacted law prohibiting the desecration of the Quran. Two individuals were charged on Friday for “inappropriate treatment” of the holy book during a June festival.

While authorities haven’t detailed the specific actions, prosecutor Lise-Lotte Nilas stated the acts occurred publicly, were witnessed by many, and were livestreamed on Facebook.

The new law, passed in December 2023 following a series of Quran burnings that sparked international outrage, criminalizes the public defiling of holy texts, whether by burning, tearing, or other means, and carries penalties of fines or up to two years imprisonment.

Danish police are currently investigating at least eight potential violations of this legislation. The charges mark a significant development in Denmark’s response to the controversial acts of Quran desecration that have fueled tensions with Muslim communities globally.