Copenhagen (Denmark), June 15, 2026 (SPS) – The trial of individuals accused of carrying out a deliberate, politically motivated arson attack against the headquarters of the Danish solidarity organization Global Aktion, which supports the Sahrawi people, opened on Monday before the Copenhagen District Court, with a final verdict is expected by the end of June.
The case involves four defendants linked to the banned gang Loyal To Familia, who are facing charges of orchestrating an arson attack and attempting to detonate a hand grenade at the NGO’s premises during the night of January 12–13, 2025.
Observers and analysts consider the attack to have been a direct attempt to intimidate and silence Danish voices supporting the Sahrawi people's right to self-determination and the completion of the decolonization process in Western Sahara.
The fire caused severe structural damage to the residential building housing the organization's offices, endangering the lives of residents living on the upper floors. Investigators also discovered an unexploded hand grenade at the scene, leading prosecutors to bring serious charges related to arson under circumstances that endangered human life—an offense that can carry a sentence of life imprisonment under Danish criminal law.
The trial has attracted considerable attention among human rights organizations and European solidarity networks, as it is viewed as an important test of efforts to counter attempts to target civil society organizations engaged in international solidarity work and in defending the right of peoples to self-determination.
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