Copenhagen - Seven Danish Muslim associations were planning to appeal to Denmark's highest court over the publication of 12 cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed that sparked violent protests in 2006, reports said Thursday.

A spokesman for the Islamic Society told Danish media that a lawyer was working on the appeal to the Supreme Court.

Earlier, a Danish district court and an appeal court had turned down cases filed against the former managing editor and cultural editor of the Jyllands-Posten newspaper, which published the cartoons in September 2005.

The Muslim associations maintain that Muslims were slandered when the prophet was depicted as a terrorist and warmonger, but both Danish courts ruled that the publication was not slander.

Islamic Society spokesman Bilal Assaad said the groups were prepared to appeal to the European Court of Human Rights should the Supreme Court not support their case, news agency Ritzau said.

In February, Danish security police said they averted a plot to murder newspaper cartoonist Kurt Westergaard, who made one of the 12 cartoons, depicting the Prophet Mohammed with a bomb in his turban.

Leading Danish newspapers reprinted the cartoons after the plot against Westergaard was disclosed, sparking new protests. (dpa)