Russian man released after 146 days in Danish secret hacking case in Aarhus
A Russian businessman was held on remand in Aarhus on suspicion of hacking against Danish companies. The charges were dropped, and he received 153,000 kroner in compensation.
Russian entrepreneur detained and released in secret hacking investigation
A 43-year-old Russian businessman spent 146 days behind bars in Spain and Denmark before police withdrew suspicions of cyber attacks against Danish companies. The case is reported by B.T. in a matter that has not previously been described in the media.
Pavel Prozorov, who describes himself as a fintech entrepreneur, was arrested on 18 June 2024 at 10.15 in Spain during a coordinated police operation involving Danish, American, Canadian, German and Spanish police, as well as Europol. The basis was a European arrest warrant issued by Danish police after a company reported a hacking attack in June 2023.
After just over two months in a Spanish prison, Prozorov was flown to Denmark on 28 August and arrested at 17.48. The following day, Aarhus District Court brought him before a bail hearing behind doubly closed doors – a procedure which means that neither the identity of the affected companies nor details of the case are made public.
His remand in custody was extended twice before police chose to release him and drop the charges entirely.
"A complete nightmare"
Prozorov is now ready to talk about the sequence of events in an interview with B.T., speaking fluent English via video link from Spain.
"I have never done anything wrong – either in Spain or Denmark. It was traumatising. It was a complete nightmare. I am extremely glad it is over," he says.
Prozorov is married with three children in Spain. During his detention in Denmark, contact with his family was limited to one phone call a week.
"No one should go through an experience like that," he says.
The state prosecutor has awarded him compensation of 153,000 kroner plus interest for the unlawful detention. He has donated the amount to the independent think tank Justitia, which works to strengthen public focus on fundamental rule-of-law principles and freedom rights.
"This should not happen to anyone. I have had all the support I needed, but some people are less fortunate," says Prozorov.
Defence lawyer: Police acted correctly
Prozorov's defence lawyer, Thomas Brædder, points out that the threshold for remand in custody in Denmark is low.
"Fortunately, we were able to demonstrate to police that they had the wrong person. And the prosecution and police also deserve credit for responding to what we presented and releasing him, and subsequently dropping the charges entirely against my client," says Brædder.
"It should be remembered that it is also their responsibility to ensure that prosecution of the innocent does not take place," he adds.
East Jutland Police state that they are no longer investigating the hacking case.
More than 3,000 remand detentions per year
The case illustrates a broader problem in the Danish legal system. More than 3,000 remand detentions are carried out in Denmark each year. In 2024, 141 remand detentions were concluded in cases where the charges were subsequently dropped – precisely as in the case against Prozorov. Remand in custody occurs during investigation, while the accused remains under suspicion – neither charged nor convicted.
Indian case in a different category
While the Danish case is closed, Prozorov has a pending case in India. It concerns the trading platform OctaFX, to which he is linked. Indian authorities have named him in press releases in connection with an investigation suspecting that Indian investors have been defrauded of over one billion Danish kroner in the period July 2022 to April 2023, and that OctaFX made a profit of more than 500 billion kroner.
"The case in India has no connection to the Danish case and concerns alleged fraud committed by third parties via a platform operated by a company that I founded," says Prozorov.
"With assistance from my lawyers in India, I strongly dispute any suggestion that I have been involved in anything unlawful. Furthermore, I cannot comment further on the case as it is still ongoing," he adds.
Source: B.T.