Willem Engel arrested for posting incendiary
corona-related messages
Society
March 16, 2022
A still
from the video Anti-coronavirus rule activist Willem Engel has been arrested in
Rotterdam and faces charges of incitement, a day after the Netherlands announced
plans to lift the remaining regulations. Engel, who was not named by the public
prosecution department in its media release, is said to have ‘posted incendiary
corona-related messages on social media over a long period of time’. Engel, a
dance teacher and founder of campaign group Viruswaarheid, will appear in court
on Friday, when judges will decide if he should be remanded in custody. His
girlfriend filmed the incident and placed it on social media. -ADVERTENTIE- His
legal advisor Jeroen Pols said on Twitter the arrest is ‘a frontal attack on
critics and opponents’ of the ‘Rutte regime’. He later told broadcaster NOS
that the arrest is part of a pattern of arresting people who ‘criticise the
regime’ and accused the media of publishing articles which ‘sow hatred’. The
public prosecution department began an investigation into Engel in January
after more than 22,000 people signed a joint complaint, accusing Engel of
sedition, spreading medical misinformation, fraud and making threats. ‘The
arrest was made on the basis of the initial outcome of the research into the
suspect’s actions, the public prosecution department said in a statement.
Read more
at DutchNews.nl:
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