Danish police link suspected terror plan to Hamas
December’s raids by Danish police and security services, in which three arrests were made in Denmark and one in the Netherlands, have connections to the militant Palestinian group Hamas, according to Danish media reports.
A prosecutor at the Østre Landsret High Court on Friday said that the police consider that suspected plans to commit an act of terror, which formed the basis for the police raids, can be traced to Hamas.
Police and intelligence service PET believe that seven people, including two 20-year-old women, were involved in the plot.
In dramatic raids on the morning of December 14th, police ransacked homes in Aarhus and Odense, making three number arrests.
READ ALSO: What we know about police anti-terror arrests in Denmark
Three people detained as a result of the arrests remain in police custody, including the two young women as well as a 58-year-old man.
Three others are arrested in absentia, while one suspect is free after the court found there were not grounds to continue his preliminary detention.
Friday’s high court proceedings took place behind “double closed doors”, meaning the court agrees with police that no information relating to potential charges will be made public during or following the hearing, with media not permitted to be present at the hearing.
However, Special Prosecutor Anders Larsson revealed to media that investigators’ belief there are “links to Hamas” no longer need to be kept from public knowledge, according to news wire Ritzau.
Police have already confirmed suspected links to organised crime in Denmark, specifically the illegal gang “Loyal to Familia”.
The nature of the suspected link to Hamas is not further elaborated.
The 58-year-old suspect appealed to be released at Friday’s court hearing. A decision is due on Monday.
Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said on Friday that the alleged connection to Hamas "confirms that the threat against Denmark is serious, but luckily we have a strong police and intelligence service doing their best to protect us every day".
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A prosecutor at the Østre Landsret High Court on Friday said that the police consider that suspected plans to commit an act of terror, which formed the basis for the police raids, can be traced to Hamas.
Police and intelligence service PET believe that seven people, including two 20-year-old women, were involved in the plot.
In dramatic raids on the morning of December 14th, police ransacked homes in Aarhus and Odense, making three number arrests.
READ ALSO: What we know about police anti-terror arrests in Denmark
Three people detained as a result of the arrests remain in police custody, including the two young women as well as a 58-year-old man.
Three others are arrested in absentia, while one suspect is free after the court found there were not grounds to continue his preliminary detention.
Friday’s high court proceedings took place behind “double closed doors”, meaning the court agrees with police that no information relating to potential charges will be made public during or following the hearing, with media not permitted to be present at the hearing.
However, Special Prosecutor Anders Larsson revealed to media that investigators’ belief there are “links to Hamas” no longer need to be kept from public knowledge, according to news wire Ritzau.
Police have already confirmed suspected links to organised crime in Denmark, specifically the illegal gang “Loyal to Familia”.
The nature of the suspected link to Hamas is not further elaborated.
The 58-year-old suspect appealed to be released at Friday’s court hearing. A decision is due on Monday.
Danish Justice Minister Peter Hummelgaard said on Friday that the alleged connection to Hamas "confirms that the threat against Denmark is serious, but luckily we have a strong police and intelligence service doing their best to protect us every day".
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