Newsmedianews | Denmark news page

DENMARK NEWS

Oldest intelligent homo sapien remains found in Ireland
Kerry farmer apologises for horrific ‘mix-up’
Elmo Maheeny has been replaced by Rumpold Slitskin
What a Load of Trash—self-generating trash research report
Our world today
Of Cannabis Freedom and Dictators
Börhd Hooligan goes ballistic
Reporters Without Borders - Freedom of Information
Crippling the Killing Machine —Hermit Empeysex on war
Contribute news direct to this website
Poll results say 'No-DSS' advertising 'unlawful and discriminatory'
Newsmedianews features index
The basement Years mp3 collection
A Question of Education? Perhaps—but whose? - Hermit Empeysex reports
An examination of Britain's ''improved' state welfare system
Lord Knoxborough still missing
Vote on a range of current and other issues
An encounter with the UK D-Notice-archived yarn
News from the European Union
Newsmedianews forum
Editorial
Our Muppet Democracies - Hermit Empeysex
Exclusive - the Toise Collection

+ Larger Font | - Smaller Font
View all direct news items Search Direct Input items

MAIN NEWS FROM DENMARK

Direct news input story index

Kneecap - 01 May 2025 filed by the editor - Opinion

Back to dark times - 25 Apr 2025 filed by the editor - Opinion

The Ogre in the Middle East - 03 Feb 2025 filed by the editor - Opinion

Gaza, Palestine and Israel - 21 Jan 2025 filed by the editor - Opinion

What’s this?

More from Ireland at www.thetruth.ie

Direct news input items

German Court to Rule on UK Spycop's Operations printable version

26 Jan 2022: posted by the editor - Human Rights, Europe, European Union, United Kingdom, Germany

A court in Schwerin, Germany will decide this week whether a British undercover police officer's spying was legal under German law.

Spycop Mark Kennedy infiltrated activists across Europe during his deployment from 2003 to 2009. The German court hearing is the culmination of a ten-year legal battle by climate campaigner and media activist Jason Kirkpatrick, who was targeted by Kennedy while coordinating press coverage during 2007 protests against a G8 summit in Germany.

The long-running scandal has exposed fifty years of police officers living as political activists for years on end, and taking key roles in organising campaigns. More than a thousand groups and political parties have been spied on since 1968. The issue is the subject of an ongoing public inquiry at which Kirkpatrick is a core participant.

Kennedy is already notorious in the UK for going deep undercover among climate campaigners in the 2000s, during which time he unlawfully deceived several women he spied on into long-term relationships. The Investigatory Powers Tribunal recently ruled that authorisations relating to Kennedy "were fatally flawed and the undercover operation could not be justified as 'necessary in a democratic society'."

Kennedy was also 'hired out' by British police to forces in at least nine other countries, including Germany. Irish police have admitted that they did not disclose his work for them to the government of the day. Whether the German police were any more transparent is one of the questions Kirkpatrick is hoping to have answered on Friday.

Jason Kirkpatrick said: "The recently released police files clearly show that they knew I was not known to be organising protests, and was doing normal journalistic work like writing articles and coordinating media. The police, whether in the UK, Germany, or anywhere else, should not be using such extreme tactics to actively sabotage climate protest movements. The power to end such tactics lies in the hands of top police chiefs and heads of state, and they must stop such measures."

Kirkpatrick has a clear message to both PM Boris Johnson and the German chancellor Olaf Scholz: "You shouldn't allow climate change activists to be spied on. It's you who is responsible for stopping this abuse done upon good-willed people by the police - get it sorted."

Lois Austin, from Campaign Opposing Police Surveillance which speaks for those who were targeted by spycops, said: "Time and again Mark Kennedy's spy operations against activists have been labelled by the police and courts as violating human rights, resulting in police apologies and large payouts to victims. In September 2021 the Investigatory Powers Tribunal stated Kennedy's targeting of activist Kate Wilson 'was neither necessary nor proportionate, it was one of the most substantial and gravest interferences of its kind' and was 'abuse of trust of the highest order'."

Austin continued: "With UK courts finding multiple failings done by Kennedy and senior officers, it should be clear that German courts need to follow the precedents of those courts, and agree that Kennedy violated the human rights of Jason Kirkpatrick."

References
1. The German court's press release has been posted on Jason Kirkpatrick's Twitter:

https://twitter.com/SpiedUpon/status/1483447534890721282?s=20 (original German)
https://twitter.com/SpiedUpon/status/1483560381272530956?s=20 (English translation)

2. Although the Undercover Policing Inquiry has told lawyers for voctims of spycops that more than 1,000 groups were targeted, it has refused to publish the list. In 2019, The Guardian worked with researchers to compile as complete a list as possible.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/ng-interactive/2018/oct/15/uk-political-groups-spied-on-undercover-police-list

3. The Undercover Policing Inquiry was announced in 2014 by then-Home Secretary Theresa May. Around 200 of the most significantly affected people have been designated core participants, including Jason Kirkpatrick
https://www.ucpi.org.uk/individuals/jason-kirkpatrick/

4. In 2015, the Metropolitan Police apologised and reached settlements with a number of women deceived into relationships by undercover officers, including 'Lisa' and 'Naomi' who had been in relationships with Kennedy:
'Met Police apology for women tricked into relationships', BBC News, 20 November 2015
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-34875197

In 2017, they extended this to Sarah Hampton:
Letter from T/Assistant Commissioner Fiona Taylor, 19 January 2017
https://www.yumpu.com/xx/document/view/56826058/letter-from-ac-taylor-to-bindmans-llp-19jan17

This week, they settled with Kate Wilson:
'Met Police: Deceived activist Kate Wilson awarded compensation', BBC News, 25 January 2022
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-60132610

5. 'Deceived activist Kate Wilson wins tribunal against Met Police', BBC News, 30 September 2021
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-nottinghamshire-58749590

6. 'Ministers kept in the dark over British spy', The Times, 13 April 2017
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/ministers-kept-in-the-dark-over-british-spy-6kp5shhgt

7. See extract from UK police internal document posted by Jason Kirkpartick on Twitter, 5 January 2022
https://twitter.com/SpiedUpon/status/1478780365389144070?s=20

8. Judgment, Case No: IPT/11/167/H, Investigatory Powers Tribunal, 30 September 2021
https://www.statewatch.org/media/2799/uk-spycops-ipt-judgment-30-9-21.pdf

COURT CASE DETAILS:
Case name: Kirkpatrick vs. State of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern
Deutsch: (Kirkpatrick ./. Land Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)
Case number (Aktenzeichen): 7 A 2862/16 SN
Friday (Freitag), 28 January 2022, 10.00

Tags: UK police surveillance, Spycops

Back to headlines

comments (0)
recommend

Denmark News

bignewsnetwork.com latest rss headlines

Tottenham edge past Manchester United to win Europa League, ending 17-year wait for a trophy

Bilbao [Spain], May 22 (ANI): Tottenham Hotspur brought joy to their fans at last, ending a long trophy drought by winning the Europa League final with a narrow 1-0 victory over Manchester United in Bilbao on Wednesday. Brennan Johnson's scrappy first-half goal proved to be the difference in a game that lacked real quality but meant everything to the North London club. It was their first piece of silverware since winni

European countries condemn Israel over intensified Gaza military offensive

Europe's mounting criticism of Israel is fueled by the devastating humanitarian toll in Gaza. Hundreds of Palestinians have been killed in the first five days of the latest operation.

BERLIN, May 21 (Xinhua) -- As Israel escalates its military campaign in the Gaza Strip, a growing number of European countries are voicing strong criticism and calling for concrete consequences. The mounting humanit

EAM Jaishankar discusses Indo-Danish ties with Denmark's FM, praises its support against terrorism

Copenhagen [Denmark], May 22 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a productive meeting in Copenhagen on Wednesday (local time) with Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen to advance Indo-Danish relations.

During the discussions, Jaishankar also lauded Denmark's solidarity and its support for India's fight against terrorism.

'Delighted to meet FM Lars Lokke Rasmussen in Copenhagen this ev

Jaishankar meets Danish Minister Bodskov, explores new cooperation possibilities

New Delhi [India], May 21 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met with Morten Bodskov, the Danish Minister for Industry, Business and Financial Affairs, in Copenhagen on Wednesday.

https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1925161696168972615

Both ministers discussed deepening existing areas of cooperation and exploring new possibiliti

Leak Uncovers Russian Propaganda Funding Networks in Bulgaria

A significant leak has exposed details about who is receiving payments for Russian propaganda activities in Bulgaria, OFFNews reported. Danish public broadcaster DR obtained a massive trove of documents - over 49,000 emails and more than 22,000 files - from a confidential source tied to a Russian state-backed group called the Fund for Support and Protection of the Rights of Compatriots Living Abroad, commonly known as

Economic Watch: U.S. tariffs hurt furniture sector with higher costs, uncertainties

U.S. furniture makers, supposedly the winners of Trump's protectionist push, are finding that the tariffs meant to help them are doing quite the opposite.

by Xinhua writer Liu Yanan

NEW YORK, May 21 (Xinhua) -- Tariffs imposed by the Trump administration are rattling the furniture sector, piling on costs, fueling uncertainty and stalling sustainability efforts, industry insiders have said.<

EAM Jaishankar arrives in Denmark, lauds its support against terrorism; Advances green strategic partnership

Copenhagen [Denmark], May 21 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expressed his gratitude for Denmark's solidarity in the fight against terrorism and for the warm reception he received upon his arrival in the Nordic country on Tuesday (local time).

The EAM was received by Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, and key discussions focused on advancing the India-Denmark Green Strategic Partnership were h

EU adopts 17th sanctions package, UK imposes 100 new sanctions against Russia

Brussels [Belgium], May 20 (ANI): The European Union and the United Kingdom unveiled new sanctions targeting Russia's economy, shadow oil fleet, and military supply chains on Tuesday. The EU adopted its 17th and most extensive sanctions package, while the UK imposed 100 fresh sanctions, including on financial institutions, and military suppliers.

The European Council on Tuesday adopted the 17th package of econom

Three injured in misogynistic school knife rampage (DISTURBING VIDEO)

A 16-year-old suspect has been taken into custody after a knife attack on female students at a school in southern Finland

Three schoolgirls have been injured in a stabbing rampage at a school in the southern Finnish town of Pirkkala. The attack was allegedly carried out by a fellow student, who has been taken into custody.

The incident unfolded early Tuesday, when the suspect, 16, dressed i

(SP)MALAYSIA-KUALA LUMPUR-BADMINTON-MALAYSIA MASTERS-MEN'S DOUBLES

(250520) -- KUALA LUMPUR, May 20, 2025 (Xinhua) -- Daniel Lundgaard/Mads Vestergaard (R) compete during the men's doubles round of 32 match between Chen Boyang/Liu Yi of China and Daniel Lundgaard/Mads Vestergaard of Denmark at 2025 Malaysia Masters badminton tournament in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, May 20, 2025. (Photo by Chong Voon Chung/Xinhua)

"Obvious that Russia is trying to buy time to continue its war": Zelenskyy

Kyiv [Ukraine], May 20 (ANI): Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Tuesday accused Russia of using diplomacy to 'buy time to continue its war and occupation' and also said he is working with allies to ensure that pressure compels Russia to change its behaviour.

Sharing a post on X, Zelenskyy wrote, 'Spoke with President of Finland @AlexStubb. We informed each other about our contacts with partners and discu

From Tallinn To The Hague: The Run-Up To The NATO Summit

Welcome to Wider Europe, RFE/RL's newsletter focusing on the key issues concerning the European Union, NATO, and other institutions and their relationships with the Western Balkans and Europe's Eastern neighborhoods.

I'm RFE/RL Europe Editor Rikard Jozwiak, and this week I'm drilling down on one thing: my take from Tallinn and the road ahead.

Embed

From Tallinn To The Hague: The Run-Up To

Mamata Banerjee names Abhishek Banerjee to represent AITC in all-party delegation

Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], May 20 (ANI): The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) has announced that its Chairperson, Mamata Banerjee, has nominated National General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee to represent the party in an all-party delegation for India's global outreach against terrorism.

https://x.com/AITCoffici

FRANCE-CANNES-FILM FESTIVAL-EAGLES OF THE REPUBLIC-SCREENING

(250520) -- CANNES, May 20, 2025 (Xinhua) -- Swedish director Tarik Saleh (2nd L) leaves with cast members after the screening of the film "Eagles of the Republic" at the 78th edition of the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, southern France, on May 19, 2025. (Xinhua/Gao Jing)

Jaishankar, Netherlands Defence Minister hold talks on security perspectives and challenges

The Hague [Netherlands], May 20 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a meeting with the Netherlands Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans in The Hague on Monday and exchanged views on their respective security perspectives and challenges.

In a post on X, Jaishankar stated, 'Pleased to meet Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans in The Hague today. Exchanged views on our respective security perspectives and