Petition: International Solidarity is not an Offence

Sign and forward the following petition created by Martin Spang-Thomsen:

To: The Danish Parliament

I condemn the ruling of the Danish High Court on September 18th 2008, condemning 6 persons related to the clothing company Fighters & Lovers to prison for the support of Palestinian PFLP and Colombian FARC. The ruling states that an organization that has caused civilian casualties is a terrorist organization, no matter what its objectives or tactics. The ruling equates resistance- and liberation movements with terrorism, and 65 years after the 2nd World War agrees with the German occupying power who stated that the Danish Resistance Movement were terrorists. (The Danish Resistance Movement during the occupation of Denmark in 1940-45 killed 3-400 informers or assumed informers).

But the ruling goes further by also criminalizing support for humanitarian organizations, when these organizations operate in a conflict zone.

The preliminary steps toward the danish "terror legislation" in 2002 kept a clear distinction between terror, and resistance against occupation or an illegitimate state. This distinction is abolished by the ruling from the High Court, thereby penalizing the International Solidarity that during the last 50 years has been developed internationally in support of the decolonization process in the 3rd World and the erosion of apartheid regimes and dictatorships, that have cast long shadows over the world. A solidarity that has participated in the promotion of peace and the development of democracy.

I strongly condemn terror, but the fight against terrorism must not lead to the abolishment of the fundamental principles of the rule of law. If that happens, the terrorists have won. The Danish Parliament has decided that the danish terror legislation of 2002 must be evaluated in 2009. I strongly support a change of the law, so that no longer can it be used for penalizing International Solidarity towards humanitarian projects or support for resistance- or liberation movements.