Denmark holds three over plot to murder cartoonist

Published on Tuesday 12 February 2008 20:55

A DANISH citizen of Moroccan descent and two Tunisians were arrested in Denmark yesterday over a plot to murder one of 12 cartoonists whose drawings of the Prophet Muhammad caused worldwide uproar in 2006.

The Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) said the arrests near Aarhus, in western Denmark, were made after lengthy surveillance to prevent a "terrorist-related killing" that was in an early stage of planning.

PET said it expected the 40-year-old Danish citizen to be released pending further investigation. The Tunisians will remain detained while deportation proceedings are brought against them.

According to Jyllands-Posten, the newspaper that originally published the cartoons in September 2005, the suspects are accused of planning to kill 73-year-old Kurt Westergaard. He drew the cartoon that caused the most controversy, depicting the Prophet with a bomb in his turban. The paper reproduced that drawing on its website yesterday.

Mr Westergaard, who has been under PET protection, told Danish state TV he was sure that PET's interference had saved his life.

Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the prime minister, said he was deeply concerned: "Unfortunately, the matter shows that there are in Denmark groups of extremists that do not acknowledge and respect the principles on which Danish democracy is built.

"In Denmark, we have freedom not only to think and talk, but also to draw."

The Islamic Faith Community, an organisation at the centre of the controversy, condemned the plot.

It said: "It does not serve our purpose that people take the law into their own hands. On the contrary, we want to appeal to reason in both politicians and the media not to use this miserable example to feed the flames or use it for their own profit. No-one in Denmark deserves to live in fear."