Risk of abuse delayed prisoner transfer

The defence minister denies that the Afghan prisoner’s detention breeched international human rights conventions

The Danish forces in Afghanistan have transferred an Afghan prisoner who spent 200 days in their custody in Camp Bastion in the Helmand province to the Parwan prison near Kabul, according to the operative command of the Danish military.

The Afghan man, who is suspected of either making or laying roadside bombs, was captured by Danish soldiers on 5 December 2012 and has remained in Danish hands ever since. The Danish forces and the Defence Ministry have had a difficult time deciding what to do with the man after prisoner transfers to the Afghan authorities were suspended due to the risk of them being subjected to abuse and torture.

The prisoner transfer suspension led the Danes to build a small prison using containers, and they’ve tried to make the prisoner’s ‘stay’ more comfortable by allowing phone calls to his family and a daily visit from an interpreter. The prisoner has also had access to a Koran and a mullah.

But according to the international human rights organisation Amnesty International Denmark, the intentions to protect the prisoner robbed him of other rights, including the right to an immediate trial.

The defence minister, Nick Hækkerup (Socialdemokraterne), rejects any such notion.

“Firstly, the detained individual has been held in good conditions and secondly, we have not breached any conventions,” Hækkerup told Politiken newspaper. “It’s not a breach that is against any convention and we have done what we could to make his stay tolerable.”

Amnesty International Denmark's legal consultant, Claus Juul, argued however that while he understood the practical problems that the Danish government faced, it was not acceptable that the prisoner spent seven months waiting to see a judge.

After the prisoner is transferred and awaits his trial in the Afghan justice system, a Danish military lawyer and a doctor will continue to monitor the situation and ensure that the prisoner is not subjected to abuse.

The news comes just less than a week after the Danish defence was cleared of torture charges in connection with handing over prisoners to US forces back in 2002.

TOP STORIES

  • Advice for expats: Navigating Life as an International in Denmark

    Advice for expats: Navigating Life as an International in Denmark

    Beginning this month, Expat Counselling will be contributing a monthly article to The Copenhagen Post, offering guidance, tools, and reflections on the emotional and social aspects of international life in Denmark. The first column is about Strategies for emotional resilience

  • New agreement criticized for not attracting enough internationals

    New agreement criticized for not attracting enough internationals

    Several mayors and business leaders across Denmark are not satisfied with the agreement that the government, the trade union movement and employers made last week. More internationals are needed than the agreement provides for

  • Let’s not fear the global – let’s use it wisely

    Let’s not fear the global – let’s use it wisely

    Copenhagen’s international community is not just a demographic trend – it’s a lifeline. Our hospitals, kindergartens, construction sites, laboratories and restaurants rely on talent from all over the world. In fact, more than 40% of all job growth in the city over the past decade has come from international employees.

  • The Danish Connection: Roskilde gossip, a DNA scandal & why young Danes are having less sex

    The Danish Connection: Roskilde gossip, a DNA scandal & why young Danes are having less sex

    With half of the population of Copenhagen at Roskilde this week, Eva away in Aalborg and the weather being a bit of a joke , Melissa and Rachel bring you a chatty episode to cheer you up looking into three of the top stories in Denmark this week.

  • A nation turns its hopeful eyes to Jonas Vingegaard

    A nation turns its hopeful eyes to Jonas Vingegaard

    The Tour de France has started and thus the news focus in Denmark for the next few weeks is defined. The double Tour winner will once again compete with the phenomenon Tadej Pogacar to stand at the top in Paris. Many Danes will daily follow whether one of the nation’s great sons succeeds

  • Palestine support voices characterize Roskilde in rain, sun and wind

    Palestine support voices characterize Roskilde in rain, sun and wind

    The 53rd edition of Roskilde Festival ended Saturday night. More than 100,000 people gathered to listen to music, party, drink – and for many to take a stand on the conflict between Israel and Palestine

Connect club

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

Sign up here

Career

  • “It’s possible to lead even though you don’t fit the traditional leadership mold”

    “It’s possible to lead even though you don’t fit the traditional leadership mold”

    Describing herself as a “DEI poster child,” being queer, neurodivergent and an international in Denmark didn’t stop Laurence Paquette from climbing the infamous corporate ladder to become Marketing Vice President (VP) at Vestas. Arrived in 2006 from Quebec, Laurence Paquette unpacks the implications of exposing your true self at work, in a country that lets little leeway for individuality

  • Deal reached to bring more foreign workers to Denmark

    Deal reached to bring more foreign workers to Denmark

    Agreement between unions and employers allows more foreign workers in Denmark under lower salary requirements, with new ID card rules and oversight to prevent social dumping and ensure fair conditions.

  • New association helps international nurses and doctors Denmark

    New association helps international nurses and doctors Denmark

    Kadre Darman was founded this year to support foreign-trained healthcare professionals facing challenges with difficult authorisation processes, visa procedures, and language barriers, aiming to help them find jobs and contribute to Denmark’s healthcare system

Want to advertise your job with CPH Post?

Contact us

Jobs