Danish Officer Fired After Losing Clearance Over Wife’s Russian Ties

A Danish army officer was dismissed after losing his security clearance due to his wife’s family ties to Russia, according to Danish media reports on Tuesday, April 21.

Frederik Hansen, a captain with 43 years of service in the Danish armed forces, was informed last October that he could no longer be security-cleared by the Danish Defense Intelligence Service (FE), broadcaster DR (Danish Broadcasting Corporation) reported. His dismissal was finalized in February after unsuccessful appeals to the intelligence service and the defense ministry.

The decision was linked to Hansen’s wife, a Danish citizen of Russian origin who has close relatives in Russia. Authorities assessed this as a potential security risk, although stating they had no evidence of wrongdoing by either Hansen or his spouse.

“There has been no concrete or individual assessment… They have nothing on me,” Hansen said in an interview cited by Danish media, calling the decision discriminatory.

Hansen had held continuous security clearance since 1982 and had served in multiple international missions, including NATO operations in Kosovo and advisory work in Afghanistan. He received a service medal some weeks before his clearance was revoked.

In a statement to DR, the Danish Defense Intelligence Service said it does not comment on individual cases but takes a wide range of factors into account when assessing clearances. It added that Russia’s war against Ukraine has heightened concerns about potential espionage and influence operations.

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According to TV 2, at least two other defense employees were dismissed under similar circumstances. Hansen’s lawyer, Mads Pramming, has filed a compensation claim against the defense ministry, arguing the dismissals violate human rights protections.