“The Danish Security and Intelligence Service (PET) carried out a police operation in the Aarhus area early this morning at 4.30 a.m., the purpose being to prevent a terror related assassination of one of the cartoonists behind the cartoons of the Prophet Muhammed first published in the newspaper Jyllands-Posten on the 30th of September 2005. The operation took place based on surveillance carried out over a longer period of time.  

Not wanting to take any undue risks PET has decided to intervene at a very early stage in order to interrupt the planning and the actual assassination. Thus, this morning’s operation must first and foremost be seen as a preventive measure where the aim has been to stop a crime from being committed. In this connection it must be emphasized that it is one of PET’s primary tasks to counteract and prevent terrorist acts and other security related threats.  

As part of the operation PET has arrested a 40-year-old Danish citizen of Moroccan origin.  

The person arrested is charged with attempting to violate Section 114 of the Danish Criminal Code concerning terrorism. As PET has chosen to take action at an early stage to interrupt the planning and terror related assassination it is, however, the expectation that the person in question will be released following interrogation unless any other information surfaces which offers a further basis for continuing the investigation and possibly for attempting to get the person in question remanded in custody.  

The Danish citizen in question will, following a possible release, continue to be the subject of PET’s interest.  

As part of the operation PET has also arrested two Tunisian citizens.  

According to the provisions of the Danish Aliens Act it has been decided that the two Tunisian citizens are to be deported as they are considered to constitute a threat to the security of the state.  

For the time being the two Tunisian citizens have been imprisoned according to the Danish Aliens Act while they await their deportation from Denmark. 

The specific case has not given rise to changing the overall threat assessment in relation to Denmark.”