Debates on the Rule of Law and Denmark’s Arms Exports
Secretary General of Amnesty International Denmark Vibe Klarup“In a country governed by the rule of law, the government should not try to prevent the oversight authority of local courts regarding compliance with its international obligations,” he said in an interview with Anadolu Agency. Referring to the lawsuit filed against Denmark’s calls for Israel to stop supplying parts for F-35 fighter jets, Klarup said they were deeply saddened by the fact that the Copenhagen administration had not left the authority to the courts to determine whether this situation was legal.
“Gaza cannot wait. While Denmark continues to export weapons to Israel, the disaster there is deepening day by day,” Klarup said. Emphasizing that Amnesty International works intensively to document human rights and international law violations around the world, Klarup said, “Is the Danish government really against testing respect for international law in Danish courts?”
In March, four different human rights organizations based in Denmark filed a lawsuit against Denmark for failing to comply with its legal obligations by allowing arms exports to Israel. Following this, the Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke RasmussenThe Danish government is “not guilty” of illegal arms exports, despite continuing to sell F-35 parts to Israel, he claimed on August 16. Rasmussen added that his government would not allow local courts to decide whether it was legal for it to sell significant military hardware to Israel.
