Bunker Holding rejects new Syria war crimes allegations reported to police

Bunker Holding and its subsidiary Dan-Bunkering on Thursday (27 November) rejected new allegations filed with Danish police accusing the companies of involvement in war crimes in Syria.

Over the past few days, the company has been made aware that an external lawyer has reported it and Dan-Bunkering to the police over the allegations.

The allegations come nearly ten years after the events in question and years after the case was thoroughly examined, resolved, and closed in 2021.

“A new Danish law passed earlier this year now makes it possible to prosecute war crimes domestically. This seems to be the reason for the new allegations against us. But the underlying facts have not changed,” it said in a social media post. 

The firms said they sympathise with civilians affected by the Syrian conflict but criticised media outlets for revisiting the case.

“We find it quite frankly disturbing that they choose to involve individuals who have lived through unimaginable trauma and tragedy – experiences that very few of us can truly comprehend. It is also very inappropriate to use their suffering as a means to revive a case that was resolved long ago,” Bunker Holding added.

“And just to be clear: We strongly reject the premise that Bunker Holding or Dan-Bunkering is responsible for or in any way connected to war crimes. The case dates back almost a decade and was fully resolved in the Danish legal system four years ago.”

In the court ruling, the court found that the companies should have known that the fuel, sold to non-sanctioned customers, could end up in Syria, despite contractual assurances that deliveries would comply with all sanctions. Bunker Holding said no evidence was presented regarding how the fuel was ultimately used.

Bunker Holding and Dan-Bunkering accepted the court’s decision and say they have since tightened procedures and systems to ensure that such a situation can never occur again.

“So this is why we are not just puzzled but extremely shocked to now be met with allegations as extreme as war crimes. These allegations are not grounded in facts or supported by the legal conclusions reached years ago. And they are not connected in any way to how our companies have acted. Calling this a ‘far stretch’ is an understatement. It is simply not rooted in reality,” the company concluded.  

“We want our employees, partners, and stakeholders to hear directly from us: We reject the allegations entirely!”

Photo credit: Bunker Holding
Published: 28 November, 2025