Inger Stoejberg: Jail for Danish ex-minister in impeachment trial

A former Danish immigration minister has been found guilty of illegally separating young asylum-seeking couples in a landmark impeachment trial.

Judges ruled Inger Stoejberg's decision in 2016 to separate couples was unlawful and jailed her for 60 days.

Ms Stoejberg denied any wrongdoing and said the policy was designed to combat child marriage.

The case was Denmark's first impeachment trial in three decades and only its second in a century.

Between 2015 to 2019, Ms Stoejberg served as Denmark's immigration minister in a centre-right government propped up by the right-wing populist Danish People's Party.

During her tenure she took a hard line on immigration and introduced dozens of restrictions. Among them was an order in February 2016 that married refugees under 18 years old should not be accommodated with their spouse.

The Supreme Court's verdict on Monday leaves Ms Stoejberg's political career hanging by a thread. She is currently an independent MP, but could lose her seat in a vote to remove her from parliament.