6 to remain jailed in Denmark for alleged terror attack plot

Six people who were arrested as part of what Danish authorities alleged was an Islamist-inspired attack plot have been ordered held in pre-trial custody for four weeks. Police in Denmark arrested 22 suspects in a series of raids across the Scandinavian country earlier this week, saying they had thwarted extremist violence.

The six people still jailed have pleaded not guilty to a preliminary terror charge. If formally charged and convicted, they face potential life prison sentences, though in practice life sentences end up averaging 16 years in Denmark. On Friday, the Copenhagen City Court remanded two men ages 24 and 25 to custody for allegedly trying to buy guns, silencers, and ammunition that was "to be used in connection with one or several terror attacks in Denmark or abroad," according to prosecutors.

The Copenhagen court on Thursday ordered two 21-year-old men and a 38-year-old woman to remain jailed for allegedly trying to produce one or several bombs with the explosive TATP, the prosecution said. TATP, or tri-acetone tri-peroxide, has been used in extremist attacks worldwide and has been nicknamed the "mother of Satan" because of its volatility.

Both hearings in the Danish capital were held behind closed doors. A sixth suspect, a 28-year-old man, was remanded to custody Thursday by a central Denmark court. The preliminary charge against him was not known because the hearing was held behind so-called "double-closed doors," meaning no information was made public.

It was not known whether the cases are related. None of the suspects can be named under a court order. Authorities have been tight-lipped and have given no specifics about a potential target for the attack.

Officers carried out the coordinated raids Wednesday as authorities feared the suspects were preparing one or several violent attacks. Thirteen of the 22 people arrested were released Thursday but remain suspects and the remainder had pretrial custody hearings set. Danish authorities have reported foiling several extremist attacks in recent years, including ones linked to the 2005 publication in a newspaper of 12 cartoons by various artists depicting the Prophet Muhammad.

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