A court in Copenhagen has sentenced two Swedish nationals to a lengthy prison term for the attack on the Israeli embassy in Denmark. The verdict classifies the defendants’ actions as a terrorist act.
According to media reports, the competent court confirmed the decision and noted the crime’s nature as a terrorist act.
«Two men threw grenades with the intent to seriously frighten the Israeli and Danish populations – therefore the attack is treated as a terrorist act»
– Copenhagen Police
The court found that both defendants were 16 and 18 years old at the time of the crime and acted jointly in a prior agreement with unknown accomplices linked to a criminal network in Sweden.
During the trial, the youngest of them, who is also wanted in Sweden for the shooting incident at the Israeli embassy in Stockholm, admitted belonging to the criminal network that had been recruiting them during their schooling.
It was reported that on the night of October 2, 2024, two grenades damaged the terrace of a house near the Israeli diplomatic mission in the prestigious Hellerup district; there were no casualties.
Forensic analysis allowed police to detect the younger defendant’s DNA on the grenade found in the garden of the building.
Both were also convicted of attempted murder of the residents of the building, although they were acquitted of charges of posing a threat to the life and physical safety of the embassy guards.
After completing their sentence, they are planned to be deported to Sweden.
This case highlights heightened attention to the security of diplomatic facilities and the role of international networks in transnational crimes.
Context and further details
In May 2024, Swedish intelligence services stated that Iran was attempting to recruit members of Swedish criminal groups for violent acts against Israel; Tehran officially denied these accusations.
It is also known that in March 2024 in The Hague the Israeli embassy was attacked with an incendiary device; a suspect was detained.