Denmark arrests female suspect on charges of assisting Russian intelligence service

By Ebad Ahmed

PRAGUE, Czech Republic (AA) - A female suspect was arrested Tuesday by the Danish Police Intelligence Service (PET) on charges of helping the Russian intelligence service to operate in Denmark, state broadcaster, DR, confirmed.

"The case is related to a story in several European media about a Russian state fund and is not related to the recent elections to the European Parliament," said PET, adding that the suspect is charged with violation of section 108 of the Danish Penal Code, which among other things deals with enabling a foreign intelligence service to operate in Denmark, including cooperation in carrying out influence activities.

The suspect allegedly received money from a Russian state fund known as the Prav Foundation, which is led by state intelligence officers in key positions, according to an investigative report released last week by DR.

It said it received the Moscow-based foundation’s internal documents from a Western intelligence service.

It is expected that the suspect will be released once she has been questioned.

DR said the accused is a prominent figure in Russian society in Denmark and runs a counseling service for Russian speakers in a town on the island of Zealand. Since 2017, her legal advisory center has been awarded huge financial assistance, according to internal documents.

The state broadcaster said several European intelligence services were informed that the Russian counseling centers serve as a propaganda center to create stories about discrimination against Russian-speaking citizens abroad.