Politicians accused of interfering in terror case
The Local Denmark - [email protected]
Published: 8 Dec, 2014 CET.
Updated: Mon 8 Dec 2014 08:36 CET
Six prominent politicians who publicly and repeatedly spoke out about the terror trail of Sam Mansour have been reported to the police for attempting to affect the outcome of the court proceedings.
The lawyer for convicted terrorist Sam Mansour, Thorkild Høyer, has reported Venstre’s Inger Støjberg and Karsten Lauritzen, the Social Democrats' Trine Bramsen and Danish People’s Party (DF) politicians Pia Kjærsgaard, Martin Henriksen and Peter Skaarup to the police for violating the nation’s Administration of Justice Act, which states that one cannot attempt to sway judges or jury members in an ongoing trial. Høyer contends that the politicians’ statements on Facebook and elsewhere advocating for a tough sentence for Mansour are in violation of the law. “The statements have contributed to turning the public sentiment against my client and I do not feel that he can expect a fair trial in an eventual appeal,” Høyer’s complaint to Copenhagen Police reads. Mansour was sentenced on Thursday to four years in prison for inciting terror. Despite the sentence – Mansour's second in seven years – he was allowed to keep his Danish citizenship. The four politicians actively advocated for Mansour to be stripped of his Danish passport while the trial was still underway. The presiding judge in Mansour’s case, Torben Goldin, has also criticised the political interference in the case. For her part, DF icon Kjærsgaard said the whole thing was blown out of proportion. “I don’t understand the controversy at all. [Mansour’s lawyer] has overshot the mark,” she told Politiken. Mansour has until December 18th to decide if he will appeal against the court’s decision.
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The lawyer for convicted terrorist Sam Mansour, Thorkild Høyer, has reported Venstre’s Inger Støjberg and Karsten Lauritzen, the Social Democrats' Trine Bramsen and Danish People’s Party (DF) politicians Pia Kjærsgaard, Martin Henriksen and Peter Skaarup to the police for violating the nation’s Administration of Justice Act, which states that one cannot attempt to sway judges or jury members in an ongoing trial.
Høyer contends that the politicians’ statements on Facebook and elsewhere advocating for a tough sentence for Mansour are in violation of the law.
“The statements have contributed to turning the public sentiment against my client and I do not feel that he can expect a fair trial in an eventual appeal,” Høyer’s complaint to Copenhagen Police reads.
Mansour was sentenced on Thursday to four years in prison for inciting terror. Despite the sentence – Mansour's second in seven years – he was allowed to keep his Danish citizenship. The four politicians actively advocated for Mansour to be stripped of his Danish passport while the trial was still underway.
The presiding judge in Mansour’s case, Torben Goldin, has also criticised the political interference in the case.
For her part, DF icon Kjærsgaard said the whole thing was blown out of proportion.
“I don’t understand the controversy at all. [Mansour’s lawyer] has overshot the mark,” she told Politiken.
Mansour has until December 18th to decide if he will appeal against the court’s decision.
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