Danish authorities cite intelligence cooperation in Nord Stream case

Danish authorities deny failing to assist German investigators in the case involving the explosions of the Nord Stream gas pipelines, DR reports.

The Danish Director of Public Prosecutions confirmed to DR that it responded to a German request for legal assistance in February 2024. In a letter dated 14 February, it referred Germany’s federal prosecutor’s office in Karlsruhe to an already established cooperation between the two countries’ intelligence services.

“In response to a German request for legal assistance, the Director of Public Prosecutions therefore referred the German federal prosecutor’s office in Karlsruhe to the fact that continued cooperation could take place through the already established cooperation in the case between the countries’ intelligence services,” the authority wrote.

The Director of Public Prosecutions said it could not provide further details about the international cooperation and referred DR to Copenhagen Police and the Danish Security and Intelligence Service, PET.

PET also declined to answer specific questions, saying its investigations concerned state security and were classified.

“PET has had good cooperation in the specific case with, among others, our German partners. PET cannot provide further details about the content of the specific cooperation,” the agency wrote.

The response follows an earlier DR report that, according to the German prosecution service, Danish police rejected a German request in February 2024 for assistance with the Nord Stream investigation, including interviews with witnesses on Bornholm and Christiansø.

The German indictment says Danish authorities refused to investigate on Bornholm and Christiansø because of a possible danger to the security and interests of the state.

Expert questions whether information reached German prosecutors

Birgit Feldtmann, a law professor at Aalborg University, has reviewed the German indictment obtained by DR and the responses from the Director of Public Prosecutions and PET.

She said it was reasonable for Denmark to refer Germany to the intelligence channel, but suggested that German prosecutors may not have gained access to interviews with potential witnesses on Christiansø.

Those witnesses could have seen the Ukrainian-chartered sailing boat arrive at the island, she said.

According to the German indictment, the German request specifically concerned investigative measures on Bornholm and Christiansø. Danish authorities rejected it on 14 February 2024 because of a possible threat to state security.

“Judging by the German indictment, there appears to be information that may not have reached the German prosecution service,” Feldtmann said.

Justice Minister Nicolai Wammen also declined to answer DR’s questions, referring instead to the response from the Director of Public Prosecutions.

“The Director of Public Prosecutions has stated that the Danish authorities did not refuse to cooperate with the authorities in Germany. As the Director of Public Prosecutions has stated, it referred the German authorities to the already established cooperation between the countries’ intelligence services,” Wammen said.