Afghan ex-prisoner sues Denmark over torture
COPENHAGEN (AFP) - The Danish defence ministry went on trial here Tuesday in a case brought by a man who claims he was tortured while a prisoner in Afghanistan.
| Related news: • Swedish air workers attacked by U.S. troops |
Ghousouallah Tarin has alleged he suffered torture at the hands of US troops in Afghanistan after he was turned over to the Americans by Danish soldiers.
He is demanding damages of 50,000 kroners (6,700 euros, 9,700 dollars) from the Danish state.
The incident took place in March 2003 when Danish soldiers serving with the NATO-led operation fighting Taliban militants arrested 31 Afghans at an Islamic school and turned them over to the US military.
Held in Kandahar, they were released two days after their arrests, complaining of having been mistreated by the Americans, according to a Danish documentary entitled "The Secret War", which aired on Denmark's public television in December 2006.
According to Tarin's lawyer, Tyge Trier, the central question in the trial is what the Danish government knew about the US treatment of Afghan prisoners, which his client alleges was in violation of the Geneva Conventions on prisoners of war.
The trial is being conducted behind closed doors and a verdict is not expected until early next year.
More than 700 Danish service personnel under British command are in Afghanistan as part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force.
Twenty-four Danish soldiers have been killed since the US-led invasion in 2001.
| • SIGN UP FOR FREE NEWSLETTER • ALL BREAKING NEWS ON TWITTER |
Last Updated (Wednesday, 09 September 2009 10:12)
Falling home sales in US hit Swedish banks
STOCK MARKET – It’s been a murky week at the Stockholm exchange as H&M; posted disappointing figures and sales of homes in the US unexpectedly slumped.
Geely frontrunner in Volvo bid
Ford is analyzing a bid by Chinese Geely to acquire 100 percent of Volvo for $2.5 billion.
Reinfeldt 'very worried' on climate negotiations
Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt voiced deep concern about climate change negotiations, warning they were heading in the wrong direction with weeks to go before the make-or-break Copenhagen conference.
G20 to agree on bankers' bonuses, Reinfeldt say
World leaders will agree that bankers' bonuses should be linked to long-term success, not short-term risky behaviour.
Finnish opposition demands PM's resignation
Finnish opposition parties demands that Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen resign over a campaign finance scandal.
DnB NOR to raise $2.4 billion in rights issue
Norway’s largest bank DnB NOR has announced a rights issue to strengthen its core capital.
DNO oil shares slump on Kurdish wrangle
Shares in DNO, a small Norwegian oil company, fell by nearly half on Thursday after Kurdish authorities suspended its activities in the Kurdish area of Iraq in a row over stock trading.
“The krona is undervalued against the euro”
Swedish export companies may be hit by lower sales as the Swedish currency is expected to strengthen against the euro, analysts said.
Iran did not cross EU 'red line', Sweden said
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad did not cross the "red line" that would have prompted a walkout by all EU states in his speech at the United Nations, the Swedish foreign ministry said.
Organic foods show record sales in Sweden
The sale of organic foods reached record high levels in Sweden last year and now accounts for 3.4 percent of total sales.
Swedish business outlook more upbeat
The confidence among business managers and consumers are getting stronger as more believe the recession has came to an end.
H&M profit stronger than expected
Swedish clothing retail giant H&M; made a better-than-expected pretax profit although sale in august failed to meet analysts outlooks.
Robbers attack money depot by helicopter
Robbers made off by helicopter with an undisclosed amount of money after breaking into a banknote storage in Stockholm.
Time to 'break deadlock' on climate change
Swedish Prime Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt told a climate change summit that it was time to break the deadlock in talks for a new global warming deal.
• Danish PM invites heads of state to climate talks
• Sweden tells US to step up on climate change
