Danish soldiers banned from looking at trophy photos

Defence minister demands an explanation

Christian Wenande

Sep 28, 2017

Danish soldiers deployed to Iraq have reportedly been ordered to look away when Iraqi soldiers try to show them ‘trophy photos’ of dead IS soldiers

According to Defence documents obtained by Information newspaper, from February this year, Danish soldiers have been ordered to firmly refuse to look at trophy photos – photos of the corpses of dead enemy soldiers – and if necessary end the conversation and leave the area.

A major problem
And that’s a problem, according to the Danish branch of the human rights organisation Amnesty International and a number of politicians, who contend the procedure means that Denmark is purposely closing its eyes to possible human rights abuses.

“It’s a way to remain ignorant about possible human rights violations and war crimes. It’s comparable to sticking your fingers in your ears and singing loudly to avoid hearing something you don’t want to hear,” Claus Juul, a legal consultant with Amnesty International Denmark, told Information.

READ MORE: Danish defence minister visits troops in Iraq

Explanation pending
Radikale and Enhedslisten have vehemently criticised the procedure, and in a mail to Information the defence minister, Claus Hjort Frederiksen, has vowed to look into it.

Frederiksen said he was not behind the change in procedure, but would demand an explanation from the Defence Command regarding the issue.

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