Researcher at the Defense Academy Peter Viggo Jakobsen was summoned by the Minister of Defense Trine Bramsen’s (S) in August.
It came after statements in connection with the withdrawal from Afghanistan.
It writes Weekendavisen based on a number of anonymous sources, after the defense media Olfi.dk in August wrote that the researcher had been fired. Olfi subsequently withdrew the story.
According to Weekendavisen, it was a critical statement on 19 August about Pakistan, which assisted Denmark with the evacuation, which caused a sensation.
– That statement allegedly did not excite the already pressured Minister of Defense, who according to Weekendavisen’s sources spoke so loudly about Peter Viggo Jakobsen that several employees in the ministry could hear it, writes Weekendavisen.
The case that Olfi.dk erroneously wrote that Peter Viggo Jakobsen was fired has since continued, as several have publicly questioned whether he has been threatened with silence by the ministry.
To the Weekendavisen, the Ministry of Defense denies having taken any action in the case. The Defense Command does essentially the same thing.
However, the newspaper writes that sources say that Peter Viggo Jakobsen was summoned to a meeting with the Dean of the Defense Academy, Peter Dahl Thruelsen, on 20 August.
Here, according to the newspaper, the researcher was told that there was a wish that he either found another job or reduce his public profile.
If he did not do so, the Defense Academy risked – in the words of the newspaper – a “restructuring” of his department or being relocated.
A few days later, Olfi.dk wrote that Peter Viggo Jakobsen had been fired. This was rejected by the Defense Academy, which on 23 August tweeted:
– We can refute various stories that Peter Viggo Jakobsen has been fired. He is still employed by the Defense Academy.
And on August 27, the Defense Academy tweeted:
– Peter Viggo Jakobsen is a central researcher and lecturer at the Defense Academy, who makes important contributions to the security policy debate in Denmark. The Defense Academy supports Peter Viggo’s continued strong commitment to the public debate.
Source: The Nordic Page