Overview: The Kingdom of Denmark (Denmark, Greenland, and the Faroe Islands) dedicated resources from several government agencies to prevent and counter terrorism and violent extremism, both domestically and abroad. Denmark is a strong and dynamic security partner that cooperated closely with the United States and other countries on potential terrorist threats. Denmark remained a target of terrorist groups, including al-Qa'ida (AQ), largely as a result of cartoons depicting the prophet Mohammed that were published in a major Danish newspaper in 2006 and reprinted in 2008.

Legislation and Law Enforcement: There was no legislation exclusively pertaining to terrorism passed in 2011, nor were there significant changes in border security. On January 21, the Danish Prosecution Service brought charges in two cases regarding financial support to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine . On August 15, the trial against Roj-TV and its parent company, Mesopotamia Broadcast, began. The Danish Ministry of Justice had charged the companies with promoting the activities of the Kurdish Workers' Party in August 2010.

Updates on prosecutions of terrorist suspects arrested in 2010:

  • Attack on cartoonist Kurt Westergaard's home in January 2010: On February 4, Mohamed Geele was sentenced to nine years' imprisonment following his conviction for attempted commission of an act of terrorism, attempted murder, and aggravated assault of a police officer.

  • Bomb at Hotel Joergensen in September 2010: On May 31, Lors Doukaev was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment following his conviction for attempted commission of an act of terrorism and possession of a pistol.

  • On December 29, 2010, five individuals were arrested (four in Denmark and one in Sweden) for conspiracy to commit terrorist crimes when planning to attack the newspaper Jyllands-Posten in Denmark. Four of the five individuals were Swedish citizens or residents. The man who was arrested in Sweden was eventually extradited to Denmark in April, and the Swedish authorities have closed the case. However, Danish authorities are scheduled to try the case in 2012.

Countering Terrorist Finance: Denmark is a member of the Financial Action Task Force. For further information on money laundering and financial crimes, we refer you to the 2011 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR), Volume 2, Money Laundering and Financial Crimes: http://www.state.gov/j/inl/rls/nrcrpt/index.htm.

Regional and International Cooperation: Denmark is a founding member of the Global Counterterrorism Forum and actively participates in the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Middle Europe Conference, the Bern Club, the EU Counterterrorism Group, and Europol (the European Police Office).

Countering Radicalization and Violent Extremism: New initiatives that address radicalization and violent extremism included nationwide cooperation among schools, social services, and police to identify, prevent, and counter radicalization and violent extremism; a Freedom Fund to contribute to democratic development in North Africa and the Middle East; and "Stop Hate Crimes," a program and conference by the Copenhagen Police, City of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg Municipality and the Danish Institute for Human Rights.

The Ministry of Refugee, Immigration, and Integration Affairs, in close collaboration with the Danish Prison and Probation Service, launched the project "Deradicalization – Back on track." Sponsored by the EU, this multi-year project aims to develop tools to persuade convicted terrorists and other extremists to distance themselves from extremist circles while reintegrating back into society after serving a prison sentence. The project will focus particularly on mentoring programs, training mentors, and involving families and networks in the reintegration phase. After the October 3 change of government, the Ministry of Refugee, Immigration, and Integration Affairs was abolished and the integration function was merged with the Ministry of Social Affairs and Integration.

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