In a landmark trial: Former Minister for Foreign Affairs and Integration Inger Stöberg sentenced to prison

The Supreme Court sentenced former Foreign and Integration Minister Inger Stöberg to an unconditional 60-day prison term in the event of the separation of refugee couples.

According to analysts, Stögberg may now face a parliamentary vote on her expulsion from parliament following this ruling.

The historic verdict, as described by the Danish local media, has just been pronounced, marking the sixth such case in the history of the National Court in Denmark. 

Inger Støjberg, the former Minister for Immigration and Integration and current Member of Parliament, was accused of violating the Ministerial Accountability Act in 2016, when she decided that minors could not be housed with their spouses in Danish asylum centers, where refugee couples were separated if one of them was under 18.

The prosecution demanded that Stogberg be sentenced to at least four months in prison, while the defense team demanded his acquittal. 

The case was transferred to the National Court after a majority of members of the Danish Parliament voted to bring Støjberg to trial, including her party at the time, the Liberal Party, Venstre, in which she had spent about 20 years as one of its most prominent figures. As a result of this case, she resigned from the party and retained a seat in the Danish Parliament as an independent member.

Inger Støjberg received support from her followers, who consider her a hero for defending the values she champions. They gathered in the court area in Frederiksberg, holding signs and banners with slogans supporting Støjberg. Pia Kjærsgaard of the Danish People's Party also attended the final hearing in the case on November 25. Kjærsgaard is known for her support of Inger Støjberg's hardline stance on immigrants and refugees, and both parties she belongs to advocate for policies and legislation that make immigration and asylum laws more restrictive.

The media broadcast live images of a long queue outside the building of people wanting to get in and see the historic verdict.

Støjberg's supporters lined the road to the court, as well as people who had been queuing since 6 a.m. today to get one of the few seats in the courtroom. Buses also arrived from Inger Støjberg's old constituency in Skive, who came to support the former minister.

Source: TV2