Dansk Folkeparti leader Morten Messerschmidt and Radikale Venstre leader Martin Lidegaard meet in court on Tuesday in a defamation case over remarks about Dansk Folkeparti’s immigration policy.
The two party leaders face each other at Retten på Frederiksberg on Tuesday, August 18, Avisen Danmark reports via Ritzau. Messerschmidt has sued Lidegaard for defamation over statements made during a political debate in November 2025.
The disputed passage concerns Lidegaard saying that someone wants to intern and deport thousands of fellow citizens, simply because they have a different faith or a different skin color than most people in the room. Messerschmidt regards that as an untrue and defamatory description of his party’s policy.
Defamation cases in Denmark are in principle private criminal cases, where the person who feels wronged must bring the case, according to Avisen Danmark. Messerschmidt has claimed neither a fine nor financial compensation. He is seeking only a ruling that establishes that the statements were unjustified.
Sections 267, 269 and 270 of the Danish Criminal Code are in play. Under section 267, a statement capable of violating another person’s honor can be punished with a fine or up to one year in prison. A statement is exempt from punishment if there were reasonable grounds for it, and courts weigh whether there was a sufficient factual basis and good faith.
Background to the summons
According to a statement from Dansk Folkeparti published on April 23, 2026, the dispute began at a voter meeting in Randers organized by the magazine RÆSON. There, Lidegaard is said to have claimed that the party wants to set up internment camps based on people’s skin color. The party states that Messerschmidt gave Lidegaard 24 hours to withdraw the remarks before a summons was announced.
Politiken reported in February 2026 that three judges at Retten på Frederiksberg must decide whether the wording is lawful political criticism or punishable defamation. The newspaper noted that lawyers for both party leaders see the case as a matter of principle for political debate in Denmark.
As reported by Ekstra Bladet, Lidegaard’s defense will, according to court documents, highlight an earlier criticized Facebook comment from Messerschmidt to Samira Nawa. The defense will also argue that the case has primarily been brought for political reasons.
Altinget listed the hearing in its political calendar, noting that a single court day has been set aside at Retten på Frederiksberg on August 18. The calendar entry describes the case as a civil defamation suit brought by Messerschmidt over Lidegaard’s criticism of the party’s return policy.
Legal assessments of the case differ. Skive Folkeblad cited a law professor who judged that Messerschmidt has no case, because the statements may fall within the bounds of political debate. Messerschmidt and Dansk Folkeparti maintain that the remarks were untrue and defamatory.
