Unequal before the law
- Posted by Rob (#1) on May 10, 2005 07:29 CEST
A 20-year old Dutchman was sentenced to three years in prison on charges of preparing an arson attack on a mosque:
Shortly after the murder of Theo van Gogh, the man and a friend were arrested near the mosque at night. Molotov-cocktails were found in their car. According to the judge it cannot be proven the men wanted to set arson on the in-use mosque.
This story reminds me of someone else: Samir Assouz, friends of Van Gogh's murderer Mohammed Bouyeri and his Hofstad group of extremist rascals. Owner of detailed maps of the intelligence agency, parliament and Borssele nuclear facility. Owner of explosive materials, silencers and reading material describing jihad, terrorist attacks and other fun playground activities.
In his case, judges said "circumstancial evidence" and Samir walks freely. In the arson case, judges said "no proof, three years" and the guy from Venray can wear his Lonsdale clothes behind bars, joining three mates who got two years of prison. I don't object the second decision, but it makes the first look so much worse. Apparently it's legally more dangerous in the Netherlands to be a hot-head than to carefully plan religiously motivated attacks.
George Bush must have missed this press release when he called the Dutch a strong ally in the war on terror yesterday, I myself am not so sure whose side our government is on these days.
