‘Rebellion’ has been charged on two counts with breach of 114 a (2) of
the Danish criminal code by allegedly supporting “groups having the
intent of committing terrorist acts”.3 January 2006
Confiscation and criminal charges against Danish association
Update from the association ‘Rebellion’ (Denmark)
‘Rebellion’ is charged with the transferral of approximately 14000 Euro to FARC (Colombia) and PFLP (Palestine) in October of last year, whereas the second charge concerns a statement on Danish Radio/TV on 1 August 2005 by a spokesperson for ‘Rebellion’, announcing that it was in the process of collecting further funds in support of organisations on the EU ‘terrorist list’, and that it had appealed to democratic and solidarity organisations in the European Union to similarly challenge national anti-terrorist legislation and the EU ‘terrorist list’.
The text of the appeal follows below. The appeal does not specify which resistance or liberation movements will be supported, only that such movements should “seek to further secular, democratic, and humanist goals”.
The maximum sentence which can be imposed in connection with the above charges is ten years imprisonment. The trial may begin towards the end of February 2006.
‘Rebellion’s’ international appeal, sent in both English and Spanish to about 300 European democracy and solidarity movements, was confiscated from its homepage by order of the Copenhagen City Court on 12 August 2005. This injunction was upheld 14 October 2005 by the High Court (Landsret). This is now being appealed by ‘Rebellion’ to the Supreme Court (Hoejesteret) as such a confiscation, in our opinion, involves both paragraph 77 of the Danish Constitution prohibiting the re-introduction of censorship, and the European Declaration of Human Rights, Article 10, on freedom of expression. It is as yet uncertain whether the Supreme Court will open the case. This will be clarified probably within the coming weeks.
Immediately following the confiscation of the appeal, ‘Rebellion’ encouraged other Danish organisations to publish it on their homepages, and to contact their own international networks. The appeal is now to be found on approximately 35 national and international websites. The Danish police authorities have approached a number of the Danish organisations, including the parliamentary party Red-Green Alliance (Enhedslisten, EL), requesting them to remove the appeal from their websites, or face court action. All have refused to do so.
Patrick Mac Manus
spokesperson, Rebellion (Denmark)
Telephone 0045 22454178
The ‘war on terror’ threatens us all – defend freedom of expression, human rights and international solidarity!
Appeal from ‘Rebellion’ (Denmark) to European movements
The Danish association ‘Rebellion’ appeals to all European movements for democracy and international solidarity to join it in challenging national anti-terrorist legislations, the ‘terrorist list’ of the European Union, and the so-called ‘international war on terror’.
Through present anti-terrorist legislation, European states have attempted to curb the freedom of expression and the political rights of their citizens, including their right to extend moral and material support to resistance and liberation movements.
In the past year ‘Rebellion’ has publicly, and in direct conflict with Danish anti-terrorism legislation, transferred substantial funds to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). An important criterion for our choice of organizations is that they seek to further secular, democratic, and humanist goals.
The Danish Ministry of Justice and police authorities have as yet not raised criminal charges against ‘Rebellion’. In order to further such a step, both the Colombian ambassador to the Nordic countries and vice-president Santos have had talks with officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Minister of Foreign Affairs in Copenhagen.
We appeal to other European organizations to join us in a continuing challenge to European anti-terrorist legislation and the ‘terrorist list’ of the European Union.
We envisage the following elements in the campaign:
– Collection of funds within each country with list of those willing to stand forward as signatories. It would be inadvisable to open accounts, as these may be subject to seizure.
– A goal of at least 100 signatories and at least 1000 Euro within each participating country should be set. Involving prominent citizens in the initiative would be of great advantage.
– Publication of the initiative within each country when these goals are met, or at whatever time seems appropriate within the national context.
– Conference of all participating organizations to be held in Copenhagen in 2006, where a collective transfer of funds to resistance and liberation movements is announced.
– Publication of a conference manifesto on the so-called ‘war on terror’, reiterating solidarity with the international struggle against illegitimate state power and foreign occupation.
We hope that this appeal will be welcomed by your organization, and that the initiative will be taken up and developed in as daring a manner as possible within each national context.
The association ‘Rebellion’ can be contacted at following postal address:
Foreningen Opror
C/O Blaagaardens Medborgerhus
Blaagaards Plads 3
2200 Copenhagen N
Denmark,
Or at opror@linuxmail.org
Our website is at www.opror.net
