Ahmed Samsam gives a statement outside Denmark's Supreme Court in Copenhagen. AFP
Ahmed Samsam gives a statement outside Denmark's Supreme Court in Copenhagen. AFP
Ahmed Samsam gives a statement outside Denmark's Supreme Court in Copenhagen. AFP
Ahmed Samsam gives a statement outside Denmark's Supreme Court in Copenhagen. AFP

Man jailed for being ISIS member was spying for Denmark, court rules


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A Danish man of Syrian origin who was jailed for having spent time with ISIS was in fact an informant for Danish intelligence services, a court ruled on Tuesday.

The ruling paves the way for Ahmed Samsam, 35, to seek a reversal of his 2018 conviction in Spain for being a member of the terrorist group. The case has captivated Denmark for years and shone an embarrassing spotlight on its intelligence agencies.

Since Samsam's case emerged in 2018, Denmark's two intelligence services had refused to confirm or deny the identity of their informers for security reasons. But on Tuesday, the country's Supreme Court ordered them to reveal the truth.

I don't know which monkeys have been running the show over there but they really made a big mistake
Ahmed Samsam

"The Danish Security and Intelligence Service (DSIS) and the Danish Defence Intelligence Service (DDIS) must acknowledge that, in connection with his trips to Syria in 2013 and 2014, 'A' collaborated with intelligence services, and that he received fees and other compensations in exchange for providing information on Danish fighters in Syria to the intelligence services," the Supreme Court said in its verdict.

The two agencies published a public admission within hours of the court ruling. A lawyer for the intelligence agencies called Tuesday's ruling "regrettable".

Samsam was handed an eight-year sentence by the Madrid court that convicted him. He served most of his time in prison in Denmark after being transferred, and was released in 2023.

He had denied any terrorist activity, and his claim had been backed by several testimonies and journalistic investigations, which were presented to a lower Danish court that tried to establish whether or not he was a Danish intelligence agent. He lost that case, before the Supreme Court ruled in his favour.

It found that he had explained "in detail, in a coherent and meaningful manner" how he had been recruited, and that he had documented cash and bank transfer payments, the identity of his recruiters, his training and meeting places.

"Our main goal is to pursue the matter in Spain. We need to think carefully about the best steps to take to do so," Samsam's lawyer Rene Offersen told reporters outside the courthouse. The case has enthralled Danes for five years.

"I have a lot of confidence in the Danish courts, but I never thought it would take this long," Samsam said as he left the courthouse. "Especially not after the media started covering the story in 2020," he added.

The affair has left the intelligence agencies red-faced. Samsam said that could have been avoided if the agencies had backed him up in 2018.

"I don't know which monkeys have been running the show over there but they really made a big mistake and they have handled it like amateurs," he said. "The fact that they let it get so public, they can only blame themselves."

Before Tuesday's verdict, Frederik Waage, a law professor at the University of Southern Denmark, said an admission by intelligence agencies that Samsam was an agent would have been "a sensation" and "would interfere with the operations of the Danish intelligence agencies in a way not seen before".

Aside from the ISIS charge, Samsam still faces other legal problems. On Monday, Copenhagen's court of appeals upheld a three-month sentence against him for violence against a law enforcement officer.

In numbers

Number of Chinese tourists coming to UAE in 2017 was... 1.3m

Alibaba’s new ‘Tech Town’  in Dubai is worth... $600m

China’s investment in the MIddle East in 2016 was... $29.5bn

The world’s most valuable start-up in 2018, TikTok, is valued at... $75bn

Boost to the UAE economy of 5G connectivity will be... $269bn 

MATCH INFO

Euro 2020 qualifier

Croatia v Hungary, Thursday, 10.45pm, UAE

TV: Match on BeIN Sports

IF YOU GO

The flights

FlyDubai flies direct from Dubai to Skopje in five hours from Dh1,314 return including taxes. Hourly buses from Skopje to Ohrid take three hours.

The tours

English-speaking guided tours of Ohrid town and the surrounding area are organised by Cultura 365; these cost €90 (Dh386) for a one-day trip including driver and guide and €100 a day (Dh429) for two people. 

The hotels

Villa St Sofija in the old town of Ohrid, twin room from $54 (Dh198) a night.

St Naum Monastery, on the lake 30km south of Ohrid town, has updated its pilgrims' quarters into a modern 3-star hotel, with rooms overlooking the monastery courtyard and lake. Double room from $60 (Dh 220) a night.

 

Who's who in Yemen conflict

Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government

Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council

Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south

Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory

The Sky Is Pink

Director: Shonali Bose

Cast: Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Farhan Akhtar, Zaira Wasim, Rohit Saraf

Three stars

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
  • Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
  • Power: 640hp
  • Torque: 760nm
  • On sale: 2026
  • Price: Not announced yet
COMPANY PROFILE

Company: Bidzi

● Started: 2024

● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid

● Based: Dubai, UAE

● Industry: M&A

● Funding size: Bootstrapped

● No of employees: Nine

MATCH INFO

Pakistan 106-8 (20 ovs)

Iftikhar 45, Richardson 3-18

Australia 109-0 (11.5 ovs)

Warner 48 no, Finch 52 no

Australia win series 2-0

SPEC%20SHEET
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MATCH INFO

Euro 2020 qualifier

Russia v Scotland, Thursday, 10.45pm (UAE)

TV: Match on BeIN Sports 

Indoor cricket in a nutshell

Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai

16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership

Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.

Zones

A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full

Silent Hill f

Publisher: Konami

Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC

Rating: 4.5/5

Tips to keep your car cool
  • Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
  • Park in shaded or covered areas
  • Add tint to windows
  • Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
  • Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
  • Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Updated: September 02, 2025, 1:50 PM