According to TV2 and local sources, Dan-Bonkering and Banker Holding have been reported to the police for alleged war crimes in Syria. The companies are owned by Torben Ostergaard-Nielsen.
Attorney Eddie Omar Rosenberg Khawaja filed a formal complaint with the police on behalf of seven Syrians who said they witnessed attacks in Syria in 2016, accusing them of supplying fuel to Russian aircraft in Syria.
The statement is based on a report published in the media outlets Dan-Watch and Ekstra Bladet stating that jet fuel supplied by the two companies was allegedly used by Russian forces to carry out raids.
Background of previous conviction
A Danish court had previously convicted Dan-Bunkering, Bunker Holding and its CEO Kjeld R. Demant of selling jet fuel to Russia – through two Russian state-owned companies – between 2015 and 2017, despite the European Union's ban on supplying Syria with jet fuel.
The court at the time issued fines against the two companies amounting to about 30 million kroner for Dan-Bunkering and 4 million kroner for Bunker Holding, and convicted the CEO with a suspended prison sentence of four months.
Fuel for Russian aircraft and direct use in the war
The court ruling in Odense concluded that the fuel supplied by Dan-Bunkering was delivered to maritime tankers in the eastern Mediterranean, then transported to Syria, and was very likely to be used by Russian forces in air operations against the opposition.
Prosecutors said the fuel “filled the tanks of Russian fighter jets that bombed Syria on behalf of the Assad regime,” reflecting the seriousness of the violation.
The new law makes it possible to prosecute war crimes.
The new report comes after a new law came into effect on January 1, allowing companies and individuals to be prosecuted for crimes against humanity, torture, and war crimes, which opened the door to legal action against the two companies for their connection to supplying fuel used in airstrikes in Syria, according to Danwatch.
The accused company's response
According to TV2, Bunker Holding responded by saying it takes the allegations seriously but believes the new legislation “may not be applicable” to this case. It added that the case related to the alleged violation of EU sanctions has concluded and was thoroughly investigated.
A precedent in complaints against Danish companies
According to Danwatch, this is the first time Danish companies have been reported to the police under the new war crimes legislation, making the case a landmark in the extent to which Danish companies are held accountable for activities that allegedly contributed to human rights abuses outside the country's borders.
