Danish court has acquitted ten Kurds accused in financing of terrorism

Danish court has acquitted ten Kurds accused in financing of terrorism

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The trial of the “Case of the millions of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party began in Denmark in September 2013,

COPENHAGEN, October 23. Ten Kurds who were accused in financing of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (KWP), were acquitted on Wednesday by the Municipal Court of Copenhagen.

United States, European Union and Turkey consider the KWP a terrorist organization, although currently support it in the fight against the organization Islamic State in Syria.

According to the Turkish army, the fighting between Turkish government forces and KWP fighters, ongoing since 1984, and were killed near 45000 persons.

The trial of the “Case of the millions of the KWP ” began in Denmark in September 2013.

Against ten Kurds in age from 29 to 73 years, which raises funds for the now-closed Kurdish TV channel “Roj-TV”, was accused of “terrorist financing”. Between 2009 and 2012 they collected from fellow doing business in Denmark, about 140 million euros (23.8 million dollars).

The Court however concluded that the prosecution failed to present convincing evidence that the defendants belong to the KWP, and they collected funds were intended for the separatist party.

In turn, the defendants stated that the collected funds were intended for the Kurdish satellite channel “Roj-TV”, as well as to various humanitarian and religious projects, including assistance to victims of the earthquake.

Danish-Turkish relations can be complicated

The court’s decision runs the risk of further worsen the Danish-Turkish relations, which have cooled considerably after the Turkish authorities recently released a man suspected of attempted murder of a Danish journalist Lars Hedegora known anti-Islamic views.

27-year-old Dane of Lebanese descent, was detained in a Turkish prison in April and was released, despite the fact that the Copenhagen demanded his extradition. Has spread information that this release was part of a prisoner exchange between Turkey and the Islamic state (IG). It is an exchange of hostages held by Islamists in June in the Turkish consulate in Mosul.

In Ankara, the delegation toured the Danish diplomats and police officers, which, however, were not able to get any information about the date or the reason for his release, but received official confirmation of the fact. In Denmark, the position of the Turkish authorities has provoked outrage, and the issue will be considered at the meeting of the parliamentary committee on foreign policy.

“Many people in Turkey can be regarded as a decision of the Copenhagen court a kind of” revenge “for the liberation of the Turkish authorities the person who committed the attack on Lars Hedegora,” – said in an interview Ritsaus Bureau Professor of Criminal Law, University of Copenhagen Jørn Vestergaard. “Others may find that the conviction would have been uncomfortable for the Danes, as Denmark is now working with the Kurds take part in military operations against the terrorist organization Islamic state, – he said.” All this, however, has nothing to do with reality – said lawyer. – This case has been examined with the greatest care, and the court’s decision is justified by objective legal opinions. “

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