Lars Findsen, the suspended head of the Danish Defense Intelligence Service (Forsvarets Efterretningstjeneste), has initiated legal action against the Danish Security and Intelligence Service (Politiets Efterretningstjeneste, PET) and the Ministry of Justice (Justitsministeriet). Findsen accuses these two authorities of sharing private information regarding his sex life with political party leaders at Christiansborg, the seat of the Danish Parliament.

According to Findsen, these intimate details were presented by PET Director Finn Borch Andersen during meetings with the Minister of Justice and the Permanent Secretary as part of a briefing for party leaders in February 2022. This briefing was related to an explanation regarding Findsen’s arrest.

The Danish Prosecutor General (Rigsadvokaten) has so far refused to grant Findsen any compensation for the violation of his privacy and reputation. As a result, Findsen has decided to escalate the matter to the district court. His attorney, Lars Kjeldsen, stated to the Danish news outlet Politiken that they seek a legal ruling on whether it is indeed acceptable for such information to be shared with politicians: “We want the court’s assessment of whether it is really acceptable for such information to be disclosed to politicians.”

Findsen is seeking compensation of 50,000 Danish kroner (approximately 7,000 USD) for “tort,” a legal term referring to the infringement of a person’s honor or integrity. Findsen and his lawyer describe this sum as relatively low, emphasizing that the case is primarily about principles rather than financial compensation.

So far, there have been no comments from PET or the Prosecutor General regarding this latest development. It is worth noting that this is not the first time Findsen has sought compensation. Previously, he was awarded approximately 200,000 Danish kroner (around 29,000 USD) for unlawful detention—an amount that partially covered 71 days of detention and over a year of forced relocation from his home.