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Four acquitted in Copenhagen terror trial
Christian Wenande
September 27th, 2016
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Court couldn’t prove they knew of El-Hussein’s plans to attack the synagogue
It’s closing in on two years since the Copenhagen attacks (photo: Larsgottlieb)
All four defendants have been acquitted of charges of complicity in terror in Omar El-Hussein’s attack at the synagogue in Krystalgade in February last year.
The three judges and the six jurors at the City Court were in unanimous agreement in regards to the verdict.
While the four defendants were acquitted of complicity in terror, they were all convicted of smaller crimes.
These included the illegal possession of mobile phones in prison and, in one case, violence against a prison employee.
Two of the four were also found guilty of weapons possession in particularly serious situations – they got rid of the weapon El-Hussein used in the earlier attack at Krudttønden.
READ MORE: Historic terror trial underway in Copenhagen today
Hinged on park meeting
The authorities did not manage to collect evidence that linked anyone other than El-Hussein to the shooting at Krudttønden, and so the court has only sought to ascertain whether El-Hussein planned the attack on the synagogue alone, or if he was helped by the four men, who have been held in remand for the past 18 months.
The case rested on whether the four men knew, or should have known, that El-Hussein was not finished attacking targets when they met him in Mjølnerparken in between his attack at Krudttønden and his assault on the synagogue.
All the defendants admitted to meeting El-Hussein after the first attack ,and all four admitted he told them he was the attacker. But the court came to the conclusion it has not been proven that the defendants knew anything about his plans to attack the synagogue.
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