Denmark braced for terror trial against 4 Swedes

COPENHAGEN - The Associated Press

The offices of the Jyllands-Posten daily in Copenhagen. AP photo

Four Swedes accused of plotting a revenge attack on a newspaper that printed caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad will go on trial Friday in Denmark.

Prosecutors have described the four men as Islamic militants who wanted to frighten Danish society with a shooting attack on the Jyllands-Posten newspaper that printed the Prophet cartoons in 2005.

If found guilty of terrorism charges the four men could face some 16 years in prison, while prosecutors say they will ask that the men be expelled from Denmark after serving the sentence.

Observers say the trial will have little impact on Denmark's international relations given that nearly seven years have passed since the cartoons' publication.