'Terror T-shirts' Danes cleared

The company selling the T-shirts now wants its money back

Seven Danes who sold T-shirts with the logos of Colombian and Palestinian militants have been acquitted of supporting terrorist groups.

They had pledged five euros (£3.50) from each sale to the Farc in Colombia or the PFLP (Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine).

Both are classified as terrorist groups by the European Union.

The judges ruled that while the groups took part in murders and kidnappings, they were not guilty of terrorism.

Test case

Their ruling is being seen as a test case for Denmark's anti-terrorist laws introduced in 2002, which make it illegal to finance groups that feature on the EU's list of terrorist organisations.

While the court agreed the extremists' actions fell under an article in Denmark's penal code on terrorism, they decided there was no proof that their aim was to destabilise or destroy the foundations of society.

Danish police raided the clothing company, Fighters and Lovers, last year, seizing T-shirts and computers and shutting down its website.

The clothing company said it would now seek the return of its confiscated funds so that it could send the money to its two destinations, a Farc radio station and a graphics shop which produces posters in the Palestinian territories.

The Farc has been involved in a 40-year conflict with Colombian state forces and right-wing paramilitary groups, in which tens of thousands of civilians have died.

The PFLP, which combines Arab nationalism with Marxist-Leninist ideology, has carried out suicide attacks inside Israel and against Jewish settlements.

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Your comments:

The first thing that people have to do, in order to support this type of groups, is to know really what they are fighting for, and which kind of methods they use.
Alejandro, Bogotá

This was not the correct action to take. Ensuring individuals do not wreck society is one condition, but they chose to spend their money in whatever way they decide and this should not be regulated by the government. Every society needs dynamics and this is one of those. Necessary to keep it in equilibrium.
Hans Gruber, Delaware, USA

These are kids looking to get noticed. Trying to be cool and controversial.
Dinesh Patel, London

I agree with this ruling. Even though some of the actions by these militant organisations can be regarded as terrorism, that doesn't mean that the organisation is a terrorist organisation. Similarly, the fact that Israel violates international law in some ways, does not mean that Israel is some sort of "criminal" state. We don't prosecute people for supporting Israel, not even if they are involved in funding some of the actions by Israel that are considered to be illegal by most of the international community, like e.g. building settlements in the occupied territories.
Johan de Vries, Amsterdam

First piece of common sense in the world of anti-terrorism legislation for a while.
Camilo, London