Glostrup Terrorists Case
Encyclopedia
On October 27th, 2005 Danish
police arrested four people in Glostrup
on charges of terrorism, in connection to the arrests in Bosnia
of Abdulkadir Cesur and Mirsad Bektasevic
(AKA Maximus
). All four had been under surveillance for a while.
Two additional suspects in their early 20s were arrested two days later after approaching the police. The two, a man and his girlfriend, has been living in an apartment owned by the sister of one of the suspects arrested previously.
The two were released without charges on November 29th.
On November 1st a 22 year old man was arrested. He was convicted for sending a death threat to a political organization. He voluntarily submitted to psychiatric treatment.
in Copenhagen
. According to reports they hated society and were introverted.
The four also attended the al-Tawhid study circle, organized by Abu Ahmed, in which he spoke against democracy and integration.
The four original suspects had been in contact with Cesur and Bektasevic during the summer of 2005.
According to news reports the four had been considered a terror attack in downtown Copenhagen. The Nørreport train and Metro station, and Field’s and Fisketorvet shopping malls were all primary targets.
One of the suspects had been detained two weeks prior to his arrest for 'behaving suspiciously' outside a football stadium in Brøndby. An Israeli team was supposed to play in the stadium and police suspected he might have been planning an attack there.
material.
Prosecutors also had a taped conversation, apparently between Abdul Basit Abu-Lifa and Maximus in which Abu-Lifa says "We’re trying to find a place but it’s too risky".
In many of the taped conversations, the suspects says they will continue their conversation by internet.
The suspects refused to talk to police.
On Feb. 15th, 2007 a panel of judges overturned the verdict for three of the suspects, due to insufficient evidence.
The guilty verdict for the fourth suspect, 17 year-old Abdul Basit Abu-Lifa, was upheld. Abu-Lifa was sentenced to seven years imprisonment.
Later in 2007 the public prosecutor in Copenhagen decided to proceed with a re-trial for one of the 3 suspects whose conviction had been overruled by the judges. The trial is scheduled to commence in January 2008.
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
police arrested four people in Glostrup
Glostrup
Glostrup Kommune is a suburban municipality and town in Region Hovedstaden on the island of Zealand approx. 10 km west of Copenhagen in eastern Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 13 km², and has a total population of 20,673 . Its Zip code is 2600...
on charges of terrorism, in connection to the arrests in Bosnia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
of Abdulkadir Cesur and Mirsad Bektasevic
Mirsad Bektaševic
Mirsad Bektašević , alias Maximus, is a Swede of Bosniak descent who in 2005 was arrested in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, charged with planning a terrorist attack against an unnamed target...
(AKA Maximus
Maximus
Maximus is the Latin term for "greatest" or "largest". In this connexion it is used to refer to:*Circus Maximus *Pontifex Maximus, the highest priest of the ancient Roman College of Pontiffs...
). All four had been under surveillance for a while.
Suspects
The four original suspects are:- A 20-year-old man from BrøndbyBrøndbyBrøndby Kommune is a municipality in the former Copenhagen County on the east coast of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 21 km², and has a total population of 33,831...
. A BosnianBosniansBosnians are people who reside in, or come from, Bosnia and Herzegovina. By the modern state definition a Bosnian can be anyone who holds citizenship of the state. This includes, but is not limited to, members of the constituent ethnic groups of Bosnia and Herzegovina: Bosniaks, Bosnian Serbs and...
who emigrated with his family to Denmark in 1993. He was studying industrial technologyIndustrial technologyIndustrial technology is the field concerned with the application of basic engineering principles and technical skills in support of industrial engineers and managers...
at the Technical School of Copenhagen. His family was concerned over his radicalization.
- A 16-year-old minor from Brøndby. He is of PalestinianPalestinian peopleThe Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
background and was raised in Denmark. Apparently the most active of the four, he was preparing to join Bektasevic in SarajevoSarajevoSarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
. His father discovered his plans and took away his passport and therefore he was replaced by Cesur. He is said to be very intelligent and a good, but quiet student.
- 19-year-old young man from FrederiksbergFrederiksbergFrederiksberg Kommune is a municipality on the island of Zealand in Denmark. It surrounded by the city of Copenhagen. The municipality, co-extensive with its seat, covers an area of and has a total population of 98,782 making it the smallest municipality in Denmark area-wise, the fifth most...
in central CopenhagenCopenhagenCopenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. He was studying at the time of arrest and worked at the telecompany TDCTDC A/STDC A/S is the former telecom monopoly in Denmark. It is now privatized. Thus, it is the biggest company in all aspects of telecommunications in Denmark with landline, mobile, Internet, VHF maritime borderline-radio etc.By the end of 2004, the TDC Group had more than 13.4 mil. customers in Europe:...
. He started to take an interest in IslamIslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
during his second year in high school. Reported to have visited SyriaSyriaSyria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
in 2005.
- 16-year-old minor from NørrebroNørrebroNørrebro is one of the 10 official districts of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is northwest of the city centre, beyond the location of the old Northern Gate , which, until dismantled in 1856, was near the current Nørreport station.-Geography:...
. He is of MoroccanMoroccoMorocco , officially the Kingdom of Morocco , is a country located in North Africa. It has a population of more than 32 million and an area of 710,850 km², and also primarily administers the disputed region of the Western Sahara...
background and grew up in Denmark.
Two additional suspects in their early 20s were arrested two days later after approaching the police. The two, a man and his girlfriend, has been living in an apartment owned by the sister of one of the suspects arrested previously.
The two were released without charges on November 29th.
On November 1st a 22 year old man was arrested. He was convicted for sending a death threat to a political organization. He voluntarily submitted to psychiatric treatment.
Charges
Three of the four original suspects attracted security service attention when they traveled to London to visit Omar Bakri. They went together to the same mosque in NørrebroNørrebro
Nørrebro is one of the 10 official districts of Copenhagen, Denmark. It is northwest of the city centre, beyond the location of the old Northern Gate , which, until dismantled in 1856, was near the current Nørreport station.-Geography:...
in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. According to reports they hated society and were introverted.
The four also attended the al-Tawhid study circle, organized by Abu Ahmed, in which he spoke against democracy and integration.
The four original suspects had been in contact with Cesur and Bektasevic during the summer of 2005.
According to news reports the four had been considered a terror attack in downtown Copenhagen. The Nørreport train and Metro station, and Field’s and Fisketorvet shopping malls were all primary targets.
One of the suspects had been detained two weeks prior to his arrest for 'behaving suspiciously' outside a football stadium in Brøndby. An Israeli team was supposed to play in the stadium and police suspected he might have been planning an attack there.
Evidence
Among the evidence were taped telephone calls and internet communication supposedly connecting the four to the Bosnian investigation. The four had used different names and call signs, making the investigation a complicated one. Searches at the residences of the four suspects disclosed 200000 Danish kroner (~35,000 USD) in cash and a substantial collection of Islamist propagandaPropaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
material.
Prosecutors also had a taped conversation, apparently between Abdul Basit Abu-Lifa and Maximus in which Abu-Lifa says "We’re trying to find a place but it’s too risky".
In many of the taped conversations, the suspects says they will continue their conversation by internet.
The suspects refused to talk to police.
Trial
The trial started on Dec. 6th, 2006. A jury found all four guilty of planning terror attacks.On Feb. 15th, 2007 a panel of judges overturned the verdict for three of the suspects, due to insufficient evidence.
The guilty verdict for the fourth suspect, 17 year-old Abdul Basit Abu-Lifa, was upheld. Abu-Lifa was sentenced to seven years imprisonment.
Later in 2007 the public prosecutor in Copenhagen decided to proceed with a re-trial for one of the 3 suspects whose conviction had been overruled by the judges. The trial is scheduled to commence in January 2008.
Sources
- Jihad in Denmark, Danish Institute for International Studies
- Judges overturn terrorism trial verdict, Copenhagen Post
- Chaos in wake of terror case decision, Copenhagen Post
- Terror Targets, Copenhagen Post
- Terror suspects had Sarajevo links, Copenhagen Post
- Israeli football match possible terror goal, Copenhagen Post
- Terror suspects clam up, Copenhagen Post