Justice Minister Nicolai Wammen has asked Denmark’s Criminal Law Council to modernize the rules on sabotage and influence activities, with the aim of making sabotage a separate offense against state security.
According to reporting by DR, Wammen announced the request on September 3, 2026. The minister says current legislation on sabotage is not adequate and that the rules must be tightened.
The request was set out in a press release from the Ministry of Justice. It asks Straffelovrådet, the Criminal Law Council, to examine how criminal law rules on influence activities, sabotage and other acts directed against Denmark can be modernized. The review also covers the handling of classified information in criminal cases.
Wammen points to what he describes as a number of challenges in effectively handling the current threat picture. As stated by the minister, the existing rules do not sufficiently support a coherent response to sabotage and other acts carried out as part of hybrid warfare.
The rules also fail to account for how influence activities are conducted today, per the minister. Such activities are no longer necessarily carried out by actual agents of a foreign state, but by individuals who may be hired by that state.
Sabotage would get its own provision
Sabotage does not currently appear as an independent offense in Danish criminal law. Wammen wants that changed, so that sabotage is criminalized as a separate offense against state security.
The minister says Denmark is in the most serious security policy situation in decades. According to Wammen, the new reality of a complex threat picture places new demands on how Danes are protected against influence activities and sabotage by foreign powers.
Wammen states that he has asked the council to look at how the rules can be strengthened and modernized, so that those who want to harm Denmark can be held accountable. He adds that this must be done in a way that also ensures a reassuring process for the accused.
The debate over sabotage rules comes as Denmark has expanded its security spending in recent years, including a decision to allocate 120 billion kroner more for defence up to 2030. Critical infrastructure has also been a focus, including Greenland’s undersea cables.
Straffelovrådet is a standing expert body that advises the Ministry of Justice on criminal law questions. Its recommendations on the sabotage and influence rules are expected before the summer holidays in 2027, per the ministry.
Any change to the criminal code would then require a bill and a vote in the Folketing. No proposal has been presented at this stage.
