Mohammed film protests come to Copenhagen
In bid to woo expats, city gets European school
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21 - 27 September 2012 | Vol 15 Issue 38
‘Mr Dave’ headlines CPH Blues Festival
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Denmark’s only English-language newspaper | cphpost.dk PRIVATE PHOTO
NEWS
Deep cuts to bottle and can return system could lead to stores dropping the programme altogether, some say
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NEWS
DFer’s drunken rampage Viborg Council member punches and bites his way through a regrettable night out on the town
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Imprisoned and deported thanks to bad advice Green card seeker was told his stay in Denmark was legal – it wasn’t
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Nephews of American tourist killed in Copenhagen say information has been slow to come from officials
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JUSTIN CREMER
BUSINESS
Telecoms threaten Skype Danish companies put popular internet calling application and other free services in jeopardy
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Eight arrested for financing terror organisation Investigations into Roj TV lead to arrest of eight individuals suspected of financing Kurdistan Workers’ Party with upwards of 140 million kroner
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OPENHAGEN Police arrested eight people across Zealand on Tuesday who are suspected of financing the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which is listed as a terrorist organisation by the US, Canada and the EU. Police say that the eight individuals, who range in age from 27-71, have collected somewhere between 27 and 140 million kroner for PKK, police said in a statement. The wide range was attributed to police still needing to document how long each individual had been involved in collecting and distributing money.
According to the police statement, the arrests are related to investigations into the Copenhagen-based Kurdish TV station Roj TV, which was fined 2.6 million kroner in January for violating Denmark’s anti-terror laws. The station, however, hung on to its broadcast licence despite the verdict. The investigation was primarily focused on Turkish citizens of Kurdish descent who live in Denmark. “The case is, among other things, based on information obtained by police while investigating Roj TV,” Jens Møller Jensen of the Copenhagen Police said. “In that investigation, there were indications that for several years money was collected in Denmark that benefited the PKK. It also seems likely that PKK-related individuals in Denmark have arranged money for the PKK and Roj TV.” Police said that the raised funds were being controlled by PKK’s “self-ap-
pointed legislature in Denmark”, Dansk Folkesamling, which was established in February at a meeting at an Ishøj school. The arrestees were in City Court on Wednesday morning for a preliminary hearing, at which all eight denied their guilt. The hearing was held behind closed doors and the names of the arrestees are being withheld from the public. Outside of City Court, supporters of the arrestees were at hand to show their support, waving flags and holding signs protesting against the arrest. A translator for one of the suspects, a 71-year-old Turkish citizen, told assembled media that his client felt judged before a trial had even begun and was considering a hunger strike in protest. Prior to the January court decision against Roj TV, the station transmitted news, cultural and children’s programming to an estimated 30 million Kurds
worldwide. Although it held on to its broadcasting licence, the decision resulted in European broadcasting service provider Eutelsat removing the station from its signal. The station can still be seen in Denmark, western Europe and parts of Turkey. The station has been a sore spot in the relationship between Turkey and Denmark. The Turkish government has long claimed that the station is a mouthpiece for the PKK, and Turkish authorities had repeatedly made formal complaints about the station. Denmark’s decision to prosecute Roj TV on terror charges was revealed by WikiLeaks as being a reward for Turkey’s support of the appointment of Anders Fogh Rasmussen as Nato secretary general in 2009. The Turkish Embassy in Copenhagen has offered to help Denmark in connection with this week’s arrests.
MALMÖ • KØBENHAVN • HELSINGBORG CLASSICAL MUSIC IN THE ORESUND REGION LONDON – CLASSICAL MUSIC’S EpICENTRE
3–14 October 2012
BBC Singers Academy of Ancient Music London Sinfonietta
www.musicaround.nu
…and many more!