27 April 2004

Alert

Two journalists charged with publishing confidential military information


Incident details

Jesper Larsen, Michael Bjerre

journalist(s)

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(RSF/IFEX) - RSF has denounced the laying of charges against two journalists from the conservative daily "Berlingske Tidende". On 26 April 2004, Jesper Larsen and Michael Bjerre were questioned and charged with "publishing information illegally obtained by a third party" under Article 152-d of the Criminal Code. They face a possible six-month prison sentence.

"It would be unacceptable for these journalists to be convicted for having made public information which calls into question a major foreign policy decision and is thus clearly a matter of public interest," the organisation said.

In a series of articles published since 22 February, the journalists quoted excerpts from Danish military intelligence reports, given to them by agent Frank Soeholm Grevil, which denied the availability of credible information on the existence of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) in Iraq before the March 2003 military intervention.

The existence of WMD was the principal argument put forward by Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen to justify Danish involvement alongside the American and British-led coalition. Grevil, who was also charged, was upset by the way in which the intelligence reports were interpreted by the government.



Source:

Reporters Without Borders
47, rue Vivienne
75002 Paris
France
rsf (@) rsf.org
Phone: +33 1 44 83 84 84
Fax: +33 1 45 23 11 51
 

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More on this case

WAN hails victory for press freedom as court acquits journalists of disclosing Iraq intelligence secrets 5 December 2006 IFJ testifies in defence of journalists accused of publishing government secrets in reports on Iraq 16 November 2006 Three journalists charged with "harming state security", face possible two-year prison sentence 13 November 2006 Two journalists indicted for reporting on Iraq intelligence 1 May 2006 Two journalists face charges over publication of leaked documents 20 April 2004

Denmark

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