Copenhagen - A Danish court Wednesday ordered two Tunisian nationals facing deportation to remain in custody over allegations they planned to murder a newspaper cartoonist.

The two, aged 25 and 36, were arrested February 12, and the court extended the custody period to May 7.

Security police have said they intervened to avert an alleged murder plot against Kurt Westergaard who drew a controversial cartoon depicting the Prophet Mohammed wearing a bomb as a turban.

The cartoon was one of 12 images published in September 2005 by the Jyllands-Posten newspaper. The cartoons sparked violent protests in 2006 and Danish companies were boycotted in many Muslim countries.

Leading Danish newspapers republished the cartoons after the alleged plot was disclosed, saying the move was to protect freedom of speech.

Details of what proof the security police have against the two suspects have not been revealed. A Moroccan-born Danish national was released.

The Danish section of Amnesty International, the Copenhagen-based Rehabilitation and Research Centre for Torture Victims (RCT) and several Tunisian human rights groups issued a joint statement Wednesday expressing fears that the two risked torture if they were deported to Tunisia.(dpa)