Danish terror convict stripped of citizenship

AFP/ Copenhagen

A Danish court on Wednesday revoked the citizenship of a man for inciting terrorism, the first ruling of its kind in the Scandinavian country.

Sam Mansour, dubbed "Al-Qaeda's PR man in Denmark" by the local media and who had held both Danish and Moroccan citizenship, had his Danish passport revoked by the Eastern High Court in Copenhagen after it found him guilty of supporting terrorism, making threats and engaging in hate speech on Facebook and in emails.

He was also found guilty of promoting terrorism after distributing three books by firebrand cleric Abu Qatada, who was deported from Britain to Jordan in 2013.

Mansour is to be deported after serving a four-year prison sentence, but the 55-year-old has claimed he could be tortured and even executed if sent back to Morocco.

"This issue has to be decided by the immigration authorities," the court said in a statement.

If Danish authorities find evidence to back up Mansour's torture claims he could end up staying in the Scandinavian country indefinitely under a special legal status known as "tolerated residency".

In 2007 Mansour became the first person to be convicted under a 2002 Danish anti-terror law. He came to Denmark in 1983 and obtained citizenship in 1988.

A lawyer for Mansour said he would try to appeal the case to the Supreme Court of Denmark.