ROJ TV dispute reaches high court

Defence hopes that Kurdish broadcaster gets a fairer trial than was the case in a Copenhagen court earlier this year

The Eastern High Court heard opening arguments in the appeal of Copenhagen-based Kurdish TV-station ROJ TV, which was found guilty in January of operating as a propaganda instrument for a terrorist organisation.

The station is appealing the 5.2 million kroner fine, which was handed down by the Copenhagen City Court after it found that the Kurdish separatist movement and terror organisation Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) had financed ROJ TV between 2006 and 2010.

Bjørn Elmquist, the defense attorney representing ROJ TV, contended that he didn’t feel that the city court's ruling was fair.

“We were denied the chance to produce certain witnesses and the opportunity of playing ROJ TV segments that we felt furthered our case,” Elmquist told Berlingske newspaper, adding that high court had accommodated most of his requests to call witnesses and show examples of the station's programming.

The case won’t be very dramatic to start with, as the court will go through January's 190-page decision and revisit various evidence entered by both sides. A decision is expected by June.

ROJ TV has been a thorn in eye of the Danish-Turkish relationship in recent years, culminating in 2009 when Turkey opposed the candidacy of then-PM Anders Fogh Rasmussen as NATO secretary general.

Speaking to Reuters last month, Turkish PM Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Scandinavian countries share in the blame for the increased violence between the PKK and government forces in his country.

Factfile | ROJ TV timeline

June 2005: Copenhagen Police transfer the case to the attorney general’s office because of its ‘precedent-setting nature’ and due to its public interest. It is sent back to the police in order to collect more evidence

November 2005: Turkish PM Erdogan refused to take part in a press conference with then-PM Anders Fogh Rasmussen while visiting Denmark, because a ROJ TV journalist was present at the conference

February 2007: The attorney general’s office sends the case back to the police once again for further investigation

March 2009: As Rasmussen attempts to gain Turkey's support for his NATO candidacy, representatives from the Copenhagen Police and the attorney general’s office travel to Turkey to investigate the case further

March 2010: Danish officials contend that ROJ TV has illegally received 118 million kroner in financial support

August 2010: The attorney general charges ROJ TV for being a terror organisation on the same day that Anders Fogh Rasmussen pays an official visit to Denmark as NATO secretary general

January 2012: Copenhagen City Court convicts the two companies operating ROJ TV (ROJ TV A/S and Mesopotamia Broadcast A/S) of promoting a terrorist organisation from 2006 to 2010 and are fined 5.2 million kroner. The sentence is appealed to the Eastern High Court

September 2012: The police arrest a group of eight Copenhagen-area men for sending upwards of 140 million kroner to the PKK and charge them with financing terrorism

Spetember 26, 2012: Radio and TV oversight officials impose a two-month broadcasting ban on ROJ TV for not living up to its responsibility to record and archive all their programmes

TOP STORIES

  • “No one seems to stand up for internationals”

    “No one seems to stand up for internationals”

    “To some extent, Denmark is not fair to internationals.” Nichlas Walsted, 34 years old, is the CEO of Swap Language, a provider of Danish lessons to more than 10,000 internationals. Tens of thousands of people follow him, and he advocates for internationals: “Because no one else does. I can’t think of a single politician or well-known person in Denmark who stands up for them,” he says.

  • Busy Copenhagen Airport nets a nice profit for the Danish State

    Busy Copenhagen Airport nets a nice profit for the Danish State

    Almost 30 million passengers travelled to or from Copenhagen Airport in 2024. The profit was 1.4 billion DKK and both figures are expected to grow in 2025. Expansions continue, and investments are being made in continued progress

  • Copenhagen ranked 4th for career growth

    Copenhagen ranked 4th for career growth

    Copenhagen is ranked as the fourth-best city in the world for career growth, according to an analysis by EnjoyTravel. This ranking considers various factors such as living costs, salary levels, workforce availability, and overall quality of life. Copenhagen is noted for its blend of historical and modern elements, particularly in the green energy sector, which influences job opportunities.

  • Greenlandic election seen as positive by experts

    Greenlandic election seen as positive by experts

    Last night’s Greenlandic election resulted in a surprising landslide victory for the moderate party Demokraatit, who won 30 percent of the votes – a 20 percent rise for the party since the last election.

  • Greenland moves to the right

    Greenland moves to the right

    A very surprising election gives victory to the right-wing opposition party Demokraatit. The incumbent center-left coalition loses spectacularly. Greenland – and Denmark – anxiously await upcoming government negotiations

  • Raise the voice of internationals. Take the survey and share your experience in Denmark.

    Raise the voice of internationals. Take the survey and share your experience in Denmark.

    Copenhagen Capacity has launched a survey for all internationals living in Denmark to find out if they are happy here and what challenges they face. The Copenhagen Post is the media partner for this initiative. You can find the survey below in the article.

Connect club

Connect Club is your gateway to a vibrant programme of events and an international community in Denmark.

Sign up here

Career

  • Copenhagen ranked 4th for career growth

    Copenhagen ranked 4th for career growth

    Copenhagen is ranked as the fourth-best city in the world for career growth, according to an analysis by EnjoyTravel. This ranking considers various factors such as living costs, salary levels, workforce availability, and overall quality of life. Copenhagen is noted for its blend of historical and modern elements, particularly in the green energy sector, which influences job opportunities.

  • Data shows that non-Western immigrants have saved local economies in Denmark

    Data shows that non-Western immigrants have saved local economies in Denmark

    A study reveals how only the massive influx of non-Western immigrants has saved many areas in Denmark from a decline in the workforce and a consequently shrinking economy

  • Long-term unemployment is double for non-Western immigrants

    Long-term unemployment is double for non-Western immigrants

    An analysis from the Labour Movement’s Business Council shows that the rate in long-term unemployment for non-Western immigrants is 1.8 times higher than for Danes. In other words, a chronic unemployment situation is way more probable for non-Western internationals.

Want to advertise your job with CPH Post?

Contact us

Jobs