Ahmed Samsam, a former agent for Denmark’s intelligence services, has formally asked a Spanish court to reopen the terrorism case that convicted him in 2018.
DR reports that the application was filed on Wednesday by Samsam’s Spanish lawyer, Benet Sallelas Vilar. It was submitted to the Spanish court that handed down the original conviction. Samsam was sentenced in Spain in 2018 to eight years in prison for terrorism.
The Spanish court found that he had fought for a group considered a precursor to Islamic State in Syria. Samsam has consistently maintained that he traveled to Syria on missions for the Danish intelligence services PET and FE. He has denied going as a fighter for the group.
That claim was at the center of a long legal fight in Denmark. In 2025, the Danish Supreme Court ruled in Samsam’s favor. It ordered PET and FE to confirm that Samsam had worked for both services.
According to DR, it was the first time in Danish history that the two services were required to give such a confirmation. Samsam now wants to use that confirmation to have the Spanish case reviewed again. René Offersen, who represented him before the Supreme Court, is following the Spanish process.
Offersen passed on a comment from Sallelas Vilar, who confirmed that the request for reopening had been filed on Samsam’s behalf. The Spanish lawyer described it as a strong application. As stated by Sallelas Vilar, the Supreme Court judgment is the supporting pillar of the filing.
Not all material handed over
Per Offersen, Samsam has received valuable information from the intelligence services following the Supreme Court ruling. However, not everything he pointed to has been released. Offersen said Samsam did not receive all the information he had requested.
According to Offersen, Samsam considers that omission open to criticism. The Danish lawyer pointed to his client’s weighty interest in submitting a fully documented application for reopening. The withheld material was not specified in DR’s reporting.
Sallelas Vilar said he would not predict how long the Spanish process might take. He said he had told Samsam to arm himself with patience. The lawyer added that he was optimistic and believed Samsam would get a new review of his case.
The 2018 conviction remains in force while the application is considered. Samsam’s case has been one of the most closely followed intelligence disputes in Denmark, culminating in the 2025 Supreme Court ruling against PET and FE. DR reported the new filing on September 2, 2026.
