Danish soldier face charges over Afghan memoir
COPENHAGEN (AFP) - A Danish soldier who wrote a book about elite commando operations in Afghanistan may face charges of violating civilian and military confidentiality laws, military officials said on Tuesday.
| Related news: • Afghan ex-prisoner sues Denmark over torture • Danish soldier hurt in Afghanistan bombing • Danish soldiers killed in Afghanistan |
"The military filed a complaint against the person in question last week ... and we thought it was only right to inform him of the situation and tell him that he is the subject of a preliminary investigation," military prosecutor Peter Otken told AFP.
If Rathsack is charged, a civilian court would hear the case, Otken said.
Rathsack risks a maximum of two years in prison for violating civilian secrecy laws and up to 12 years for violating military secrecy laws, though experts said Tuesday it was unlikely he would be given a custodial sentence.
A Danish court on Monday authorised the publication of Thomas Rathsack's book, rejecting an army request to ban it amid fears the contents could endanger Danish troops.
The court said the work, which reveals sensitive information on Denmark's troops including how they hunted Taliban and Al-Qaeda members, would have been banned if it had not already been made available to the public.
The book, entitled "Jaeger - i krig med eliten" ("Commando -- At War With The Elite"), was published by left-leaning daily Politiken last week as a supplement in the name of freedom of expression.
The newspaper's publication of the book sparked controversy in Denmark, dividing those in favour of freedom of expression and those, in particular among the government, defending military secrecy to protect troops.
Rathsack, a 42-year-old staff sergeant, quit Denmark's elite corps last year and is now a member of another army unit.
More than 700 Danish soldiers are stationed in Afghanistan as part of NATO forces, and 25 have been killed since international troops deployed there in late 2001.
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Last Updated (Tuesday, 22 September 2009 20:52)
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