Denmark goes to trial for ex-minister who separated pairs of asylum seekers

former Integration Minister Inger Stoenberg;

Today, Thursday, the Danish judiciary began the trial of the former Minister of Integration Inger Stoenberg;

She was accused of violating the law after she ordered the separation of asylum-seeking spouses, among whom were underage women, in a rare event in this Scandinavian country, under the pretext that Denmark does not support the marriage of those under the age of 18.

Professor of Law at the University of Denmark, Frederic Wag, explained that it is the first case of this kind in 25 years, and it was preceded only by another similar case, which makes the trial a historic event.

"Of course I expect to be acquitted," Stoenberg, 48, said upon arriving in court.

And starting September 13, she will testify.

During the 36-day hearings, 26 judges of the Special Court, which meets only to try former or current members of the government, will seek to determine whether the 48-year-old minister violated the European Convention on Human Rights by ordering the separation of spouses of applicants. Asylum, in cases where the woman was under the age of 18.

In 2016, he separated 23 men from their wives, while the age difference between the two parties was mostly small, without examining their files individually under instructions issued by the liberal minister who has since left her party, but has not given up her parliamentary seat.

Defending her earlier decisions, the minister said, "I did what, in my opinion, was the only political and humanitarian thing that needed to be done to fight child forced marriage."

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