Country Reports on Terrorism 2016 - Denmark

Overview: The Kingdom of Denmark (which includes the self-governing areas of Greenland and the Faroe Islands) devoted significant assets to counterterrorism programs and initiatives to counter violent extremism, domestically and abroad. Denmark cooperates closely with the United States, the United Nations (UN), and the European Union (EU) on specific counterterrorism initiatives, including the Global Counterterrorism Forum (GCTF). Denmark is a member of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS, and has contributed strike and support aircraft, including 7 F-16s deployed to Incirlik Air, support personnel at the Coalition regional headquarters, and military trainers to the Coalition.

According to the Danish Police Intelligence Service (PET), at least 135 Danish citizens and residents have voluntarily left Denmark to fight in Syria and Iraq since the summer of 2012. PET assessed that those who engage in combat in Syria and Iraq do so primarily as members of ISIS, and that nearly half of the individuals who traveled to Syria and Iraq for combat have returned to Denmark. Danish security services monitored individuals who have departed Denmark for combat and tracked returnees. PET remained concerned that Danish fighters returning to Denmark with terrorist training would seek to radicalize others.

Danish security agencies worked together to counter ISIS's attempts to recruit foreign terrorist fighters and prevent terrorist attacks in the country.

Legislation, Law Enforcement, and Border Security: Denmark continued to use its 2006 terrorism legislation that allows information sharing between Denmark's two intelligence services, PET and the Danish Defense Intelligence Service (DDIS). The legislation also permits surveillance and wiretapping of terrorist suspects with a warrant. Danish security and law enforcement agencies share information via the PET-administered Center for Terror Analysis (CTA), which – as the Danish government's intelligence fusion center – constitutes the focal point for reporting from the Danish National Police, PET, DDIS, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Danish Emergency Management Agency.

The Danish National Police and PET are responsible for the country's counterterrorism mission. These two divisions under the Ministry of Justice coordinate their responses with the DDIS and the Danish Commission on Counterterrorism and Foreign Terrorist Fighters.

Denmark's national police force is organized into 14 districts that also include the Faroe Islands and Greenland. Travel to ISIS-controlled areas of Syria or Iraq without permission from the Justice Ministry can result in loss of a traveler's Danish passport, and under newly implemented legislation, individuals who participate in terrorist activities can lose their Danish citizenship if it does not render the individual stateless. Denmark possesses biographic and biometric screening capabilities at ports of entry and readily shares information within its own government and with other countries, as appropriate. Security forces patrol and control Denmark's land and maritime borders. Denmark is a member of the Schengen Agreement. During 2016, Denmark instituted border checkpoints at land crossings and instituted tighter passport travel controls at air and sea ports. When Sweden introduced border controls in January 2016, in relation to the migrant and asylum seeker crisis in Europe, Denmark quickly implemented temporary border controls along its border with Germany to prevent migrants from being "trapped" in Denmark. These controls, which include checks for identification, are authorized through May 2017 and may be extended further. There were no passport controls at land borders or airport terminals servicing Schengen area flights in 2016. Copenhagen International Airport has installed automated passport control gates for travelers departing the Schengen area; travelers arriving from beyond the Schengen area must undergo standard passport control.

Other counterterrorism-related actions in the realms of law enforcement and legislation included:

• In January, a 16-year-old female and a 24-year-old male co-conspirator were arrested and charged for plotting to bomb two schools, one of which was a private Jewish school in Copenhagen. The female reportedly told police that she was inspired by a February 2015 terrorist attack in Copenhagen.

• In April, Copenhagen police arrested four individuals who had previously fought in Syria; police found weaponry and ammunition during the raid. The incident prompted legislation that limits travel to areas controlled by ISIS or other terrorist groups, and increased criminal penalties for individuals who join or promote terrorism in zones of armed conflict.

• In May, then Danish Minister of Justice Søren Pind signed the Additional Protocol to The Council of Europe Convention on Prevention of Terrorism, which criminalizes belonging to, organizing for, or traveling or training on behalf of a terrorist group. The agreement includes additional measures to facilitate information sharing between signatory states.

• In September, Danish courts acquitted four Danish citizens accused of materially supporting the 2015 Copenhagen terrorist attack; the four suspects were found guilty of lesser weapons charges related to the attack.

• In November, the Danish parliament committed an additional US $9 million to CVE efforts and an additional US $5 million for security infrastructure upgrades to buildings used by the Jewish community in Copenhagen.

• In December, Danish Parliament adopted legislation that institutes penalties for religious leaders who make verbal or written statements of approval of terrorism, murder, rape, and other acts that are against the Danish Criminal Code.

Countering the Financing of Terrorism: Denmark is a member of the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Its financial intelligence unit (FIU), the Money Laundering Secretariat, is a member of the Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units and cooperates closely with other Nordic FIUs. Danish authorities can freeze assets within hours or days with a valid court order, although the confiscation process requires a full trial and is subject to an appeals process.

The Danish government continued an initiative focused on countering money laundering and terrorist financing in East Africa and Yemen. Denmark continued its efforts to build partnerships that teach anti-money laundering and counterterrorist finance techniques to the governments of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Yemen.

In October, then Minister of Business and Growth Troels Lund Poulsen introduced legislation to implement the EU's Fourth Anti-Money Laundering Directive.

For further information on money laundering and financial crimes, see the 2017 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR), Volume II, Money Laundering and Financial Crimes: http://www.state.gov/j/inl/rls/nrcrpt/index.htm.

Countering Violent Extremism: The Danish Parliament continued funding of the National Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) action plan, which focused on prevention efforts, a de-radicalization exit program, mentoring for at-risk youth, and increased monitoring of internet-based messages and propaganda by groups that advocate terrorism or violent extremism.

In October, the government authorized a package of measures that aim to counter radicalization to violence in Denmark. A key piece of the legislation authorizes PET to identify and block terrorist or radicalizing content on the internet. Additionally the legislation funds a dedicated, national-level internet content filter designed to block terrorist content.

International and Regional Cooperation: The Danish government is committed to working within the UN framework through the EU, and with other international and regional organizations. Denmark actively participates in the UN, the Global Counterterrorism Forum, the EU, the Council of Europe, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, INTERPOL, the Bern Club, and the EU Counterterrorism Group. In December 2015, Danish voters rejected a proposition to end the country's opt-out from the EU's Justice and Home Affairs area, which would have permitted Denmark to continue to cooperate with Europol after May 2017. The Danish government and the EU negotiated a separate agreement in December that provides Denmark access to Europol information and services through a liaison officer.