Today’s news / Samsam was given eight minutes in the witness stand
Ahmed Samsam was convicted in Spain in 2018 of joining a terrorist group. But he claims to have been an agent for Danish intelligence services. He is now demanding in the Eastern High Court that the services acknowledge this. Photo: Luca Piergiovanni/Ritzau Scanpix/archive

Samsam was given eight minutes in the witness stand

After having been imprisoned for terrorism since 2017 and subject first to the Spanish and then the Danish prison system’s restrictions on his freedom of expression, Ahmed Samsam was able to explain himself freely in the Eastern High Court on Thursday. However, this was stopped after just eight minutes in the witness stand. As the clock reached 3 p.m., no more time had been set aside for Thursday’s hearing, and Ahmed Samsam will have to wait until Friday to explain his life as an agent for the Danish intelligence services PET and FE. Samsam wants the court to force the services to acknowledge that he worked for them as an agent when he was in Syria years ago to fight against the regime. The services have refused to confirm or deny the allegation. Intelligence services do not do this kind of thing, because it could damage relations with and cooperation with other countries’ intelligence services. For several years, Samsam’s case has been reported in the media, especially by DR and Berlingske. That he should have been an agent for PET and FE, but that they abandoned him when he was arrested and charged with terrorism in Spain in 2017. The following year he was convicted. /ritzau/