FARC-PFLP supporters Fighters & Lovers challenge guilty verdict in Denmark: What is terrorism and what is not?

[October 7, 2008]

Fighters & Lovers T-shirt “entrepreneur” activists are appealing to the Danish Supreme Court the guilty verdict, which the Danish Eastern Land Court rendered on September 18, that they are supporters of terrorism.
Five of the six appellate judges reversed the lower Copenhagen Court decision of December 13, 2007, in which the four judges found both FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia ) and PFLP (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine) innocent of state prosecution charges that they are terrorist organizations, and thereby found the seven Danish activists innocent of charges.

The Copenhagen court found for the defense in its argument that while both armed movements fighting oppressive governments over four decades had committed specific atrocities their goal is not a terrorist one, rather it is to combat government and paramilitary forces, and to create a different political course.

FARC and PFLP are not engaged in “terrorizing the population”, said the court, as is required in Danish law, paragraph 114, to be classified as terrorist.

Both the prosecution and the defense presented basically the same material and witnesses at both courts. Some witnesses were different but their messages were the same. State witnesses represented both the Israel and Colombia government postures that they were fighting for democracy and against terrorism. The defense position was one of support for freedom fighters against brutal governments, which deny equal rights under the law, and, in the case of Israel, illegally occupy another people’s territory.

But the higher court placed weight on individual acts of “terror” against civilians committed by FARC and PFLP and, apparently, rejected the defense logic that liberation struggles must be placed in context with what the governments do against the people.

The higher court found one of the seven, hot dog vendor Preben Mikkelsen, innocent. The other six were convicted of supporting terror by selling T-shirts with FARC and PFLP logos. Part of the proceeds was to have gone for a radio station in Colombia and a placard printing press in Palestine. Police had intercepted the funds from the sale of T-shirts before they were sent. Proceeds from T-shirts sold after the innocent verdict last year are to be confiscated. Four of them received two-month suspended sentences while two others were handed six months in jail.

Bobby Schultz, PR person for the activist firm, said: “The judges haven’t been able to resist the political pressure. The decision is an attempt to compromise. By convicting some, the judges seek to satisfy the politicians and by acquitting one they seek to satisfy the public.”

US and Colombian government officials have been following these trials closely. The activists have been threatened by Colombia army generals and President Alvaro Uribe. According to a USA Defense Intelligence Agency report, in 1991, Uribe, then a governor, collaborated with narcotic cartels and its paramilitary terrorists. During his presidency, many of his closest allies in government have been convicted of such crimes, including his cousin.

On the day of the verdict against Fighters & Lovers, Uribe thanked the Danish Eastern Land court for this “great step”, which helps in the “fight against terrorism”.

”The Danish justice system stands together with Israel and Colombia governments, which torture and murder people,” stated Michael Shoelardt, managing director of Fighters & Lovers.

Colombia’s defense minister, Juan Manuel Santos, praised the Danish court decision as one that will send “a signal to everyone not to cooperate with terrorists.”

In Denmark, however, there are still some who value solidarity.

A veterans group from World War 11 (Horseroed-Stutthof Foreningen) sent money to FARC last year to challenge the state when Fighters & Lovers were on trial, and they sent money to PFLP just before the higher court rendered its guilty verdict. So these old brave men are now terrorist supporters too. That is the case as well with another solidarity group, Rebellion, and Copenhagen’s union of carpenters and construction workers (TIB), which sent money to these freedom fighters.

Will the state have the guts to prosecute war heroes and workers?

”There is a long solidarity tradition of solidarity with freedom fighters in Denmark,” said defense attorney Thorkild Høyer, who was clearly disappointed with the verdict. ”This decision will involve the criminalization of many people. We appeal.”

"We will continue undaunted. Nelson Mandela was 90 years old when he was removed from USA’s terror list. FARC and PFLP has to wait a few more years to be removed from EU’s", says Michael Schoelardt, manager director of Fighters+Lovers. "We have plenty of time to carry on. Fighters+Lovers has more projects at hand."
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