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November 7, 2006
Netherlands: Acquitted Muslim Terror Suspects Gain Damages
A court of appeal in Rotterdam has granted compensation to individuals who were placed in trial on terror charges, but were later acquitted, states Expatica News.
They had been involved in the trial of Hofstad Group members, which had had commenced on December 5, 2005, when fourteen individuals had originally stood trial. The trial came to completion on March 10, when nine of the original fourteen were convicted under a recently-introduced terror law (article 140A). This prohibits "membership of a criminal organisation with terrorist intent."
The Hofstad Group (named after a slang term for the Hague), was said by prosecution to follow the radical Sunni ideology of 'Takfir Wal-Hijra'. This ideology allows individuals to dispense with some of the usual conditions of Muslim custom, such as wearing of beards, in order to appear to assimilate themselves into societies where they then acted against those societies. It appears to have its origins in the culture and philosophy of the Assassins (Hashishin).
A prominent member of the group was Mohamed Bouyeri (pictured), who slaughtered film-maker Theo van Gogh in an Amsterdam street on November 2, 2004. Van Gogh was stabbed, shot, and nearly decapitated for "offending" Muslim sensibilities by creating a film called "Submission". Bouyeri, already convicted for murder, rarely turned up at the Hofstad Group trial. He said after the convictions that the verdicts were a "judgement by a Banana republic - very pitiful and unacceptable."
Today, Rotterdam Court awarded the acquitted suspects damages amounting to 72,000 Euros ($91,994). This figure is lower than the 1.6 million Euros ($2.04 million) that they had demanded.
The five suspects had spent more than a year in custody, and the rate of award is higher than usual custody compensation, because of the high media profile of the trial and serious suspicions of terrorism. Awards for loss of earnings were also made.
The prosecution had said that limited awards were given because the individuals still held close links to the Hofstad Group, even if they did not intend to carry out acts of terrorism.
Posted by Giraldus Cambrensis at November 7, 2006 9:05 PM
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