Danish documentary causes political turmoil
December 14th, 2006 by Zsofia
A documentary aired by Danish public broadcaster DR earlier this month has stirred up a major controversy in Denmark over the government’s role in a 2002 incident where Danish troops allegedly handed over Afghanis to US forces near Kandahar.
In ‘The Secret War’, director Christoffer Guldbrandsen suggests that Danish troops turned 31 prisoners captured in Afghanistan over to US forces who tortured the prisoners. The film premiered at Copenhagen’s Grand Theatre to a full house that included many high-ranking members of opposition parties.
The film triggered accusations by Denmark’s opposition that Danish troops had ignored the Geneva conventions, and handed over the captured soldiers for torture. Meanwhile, Denmark’s government insisted that the men were not mistreated at the hands of US forces, and were released two days after their capture because they were found not to be Taliban fighters.
Conservative MP Helge Adam Møller accused the director of being ”highly manipulative”. “The film’s purpose is clearly to discredit the prime minister. That’s why Christoffer Guldbrandsen has omitted or twisted any piece of information which could suggest a different interpretation,” she said in a press release quoted in The Copenhagen Post.
