Justice minister proposes harsh penalties for terror propaganda

Sharing terrorist messages online should carry a sentence of six years in prison

The justice minister, Søren Pind, is proposing an amendment to the Danish anti-terrorism law by adding a clause regarding the spread of terror propaganda online.

Sharing messages from militant movements such as Islamic State on the internet should be penalised by up to six years in prison, according to Pind.

“The use of internet and social media by extremists and terrorists for recruitment purposes has exploded in recent years, and there is now an urgent need to curb extremist activities online,” Pind stated.

The government plans to amend the terrorism clause of the Danish Criminal Code, so it will be easier to prosecute those who spread terrorist propaganda.

READ MORE: Bookseller charged with terrorism again

“If we admit that we are at war, we have to recognise that the propaganda of our enemies cannot circulate freely among us,” Pind told DR.

In recent years, several people have been charged and convicted of promoting terror or expressing consent with acts of terror.

One of the best known cases was Said Mansour, the ‘Bookseller from Brønshøj’.