The High Court has ruled that Copenhagen Police acted illegally and contravened the European Human Rights Convention Article 3 in detaining groups of demonstrators in connection with the UN COP15 Climate Summit in 2009.

The court also upheld the decision of the lower court in awarding damages to demonstrators.

It was on December 12, 2009 that a police pincer movement rounded up 905 demonstrators, 178 of whom were involved in the class action suit after having been cuffed and forced to sit on a road in single file in freezing weather.

In all, Copenhagen police detained upwards of 2,000 people during the summit, most of whom were eventually placed in makeshift cells in what became known as The Climate Prison.

Of those arrested, 250 complained that the arrests had been illegal – something the lower Copenhagen Municipal Court agreed with, awarding each of those arrested in Amagerbrogade street damages of DKK 9,000 (EUR 1,200).

Those who were subject to degrading treatment were given an additional DKK 4,000 (EUR 540).

During the appeal case, police attempted to prove that they had been justified in arresting so many people because several of them were known to the police beforehand for other reasons, hoping to prove that these were not peaceful demonstrators but a group of trouble-makers.

But the High Court refused to allow police to introduce the material as only a few of the demonstrators had been investigated.

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