The court found that terrorism watchdog NCTV must compensate the left-wing activist

At the beginning of next month, Van der Linde will have an appointment with the National Coordinator for Counter-Terrorism and Security (NCTV) to discuss this matter, a spokesman for the organization confirmed. Mayor Femke Halsema previously stated that she was willing to pay compensation on behalf of the municipality of Amsterdam. Discussions on this matter with Van der Linde are still ongoing.

The lawsuit against NCTV centered, among other things, on the transfer of information to the police, 26 municipalities and a number of foreign security services in 2016 and 2017, who were warned not to target Van der Linde as an extremist.

Van der Linde has a reputation in police circles as an armored protester against issues such as racism, the far right and global warming. From 2017 to 2019, it was part of the homegrown radicalization process, which at the time was mainly populated by would-be jihadists. Halsema admitted that this should never have happened, because Van der Linde did not have violent tendencies. The municipality had previously placed him in this approach, despite the police and public prosecution feeling that he did not belong there, as a reconstruction Hit Parole To see.

Spread of “false information”.

Van der Linde wanted a forensic investigation to determine the “false information” that NCTV had spread about him. The court saw no reason to do so, but stated in the ruling of 3 November that personal data relating to Van der Linde had been transmitted to third parties “without exercising due diligence”. This is “illegal and unacceptable.”

Information about Van der Linde reached authorities in Belgium, Spain, Germany, Australia and Canada. He fears this will limit his ability to travel freely to other countries. Van der Linde also wants NCTV to pay his legal fees in those countries, as he also tries to find out what happened to the data related to him.

Legal battle with the police

The lawsuit against NCTV is one of several legal actions Van der Linde has filed over the government’s dealings with him. He also wants to know what data has been distributed and to whom it has reached. He is also in a legal battle with the police over the matter, who maintain that he has committed no reprehensible wrongdoing.

The inclusion in the radicalization approach allowed government agencies to use far-reaching powers against Van der Linde. Officers monitored him, identified his contacts, pursued him, and stopped or arrested him. Dutch police also informed Europol about Van der Linde.

About the Author: Bass Soutenhorst is made Hit Parole Especially investigative stories. He has previously written about national politics and Amsterdam politics, about which he has also written several books.