The Danish government is to re-jig treason laws to make fighting for terror groups such as the Islamic State a crime against the state, says the national justice minister.
Denmark is one of the largest per-capita exporters of terrorists in Europe, with at least 115 Danish citizens fighting for terror groups in Syria, a significant number for a nation of only five million people. Justice minister Søren Pind, a member of the new right-wing coalition government that took control of the nation in June, has told journalists this is a situation he was seeking to resolve and consequently redefining treason to include Danish citizens travelling to fight for jihad was one of the government’s highest priorities.
TheLocal.dk reports the plans have not been formally set out for the Danish parliament, but the changes had already been discussed with the national Criminal Code Council and he would be proceeding their their recommendation to make treason apply to acts of Jihad.
Speaking to Danish news agency Ritzau, Pind said: “It will mean that the rules for treason will be fine-tuned so that one can be punished for working against Denmark. There is no doubt that what we are seeing is treasonous. It works against Danish interests, it radicalizes people against Denmark and contributes to them fighting for Denmark’s enemies”.
“Denmark is one of the countries that produces the most Syrian fighters so it is something we take very seriously”.
Danish government has taken a sharp turn since the June elections, as voters replaced the left-wing, migrant-friendly Helle Thorning-Schmidt with a right-wing coalition led by Lars Løkke Rasmussen. While Thorning-Schmidt now seems set to become the new United Nations high commissioner for refugees, the new government has today put in place plans to toughen requirements to take Danish citizenship, meaning applicants will have to be able to speak Danish and be financially stable, and not be a criminal.
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