Amsterdam: Because of Explosives Dozens of Homes Evacuated

Dozens of homes in the western part of Amsterdam were evacuated today after explosives were discovered. The police believe the explosives were to be used to blow up an automatic teller machine.

https://nltimes.nl/2018/10/23/explosives-found-amsterdam-dozens-homes-evacuated

Human trafficking Victims still largely invisible in the Netherlands

The National rapporteur for human trafficking Herman Bolhaar said that while the national approach to human trafficking improved considerably in the past years many victims are still invisible to aid-agencies. Dutch victims of sexual exploitation are the largest groups within the figures of human trafficking in the Netherlands. They are increasingly disappearing from the radar of police and aid-agencies.

https://nltimes.nl/2018/10/19/human-trafficking-victims-still-largely-invisible-netherlands-rapporteur

Report: Dutch Prosecutors used coercive Measures on Journalists 15 Times in 3 Years

The Dutch Public Prosecution has used coercive measures against journalists 15 times in 3 years. These measures include eavesdropping on calls, retrieving phone data and requisition of journalistic material. Earlier this year the public prosecutor admitted not following the proper procedure in two cases of eavesdropping on journalists.

https://nltimes.nl/2018/10/18/dutch-prosecutors-used-coercive-measures-journalists-15-times-3-years-report

Advisory bodies: Dutch government ignores vulnerable people

A number of advisory bodies, the National Ombudsman, the Netherlands Court of Auditors, and the social and cultural planning office (SCP) said in a joint statement that the Dutch government has little regard for thousands of vulnerable people in the country who do not receive the necessary care. This includes psychiatric patients, elderly people with dementia and young people with a mild intellectual disability.  Part of this is due to the lack of information provided by the government.  Among the recommendations of the advisory bodies is that the government simplify the procedures vulnerable people have to go through in order to receive help.

https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2018/10/dutch-jihadi-guilty-of-war-crimes-public-prosecutor-says/

Public Prosecution accuses Dutch jihadi of War Crimes

The Public Prosecution department is taking legal action against a Dutch jihadi for war crimes. This is the first time this has happened. Oussame A. from Utrecht had posted a picture on Facebook of himself laughing next to the body of a man who had been crucified. He and Reda Nidalha from Leiden were sent back to the Netherlands from Turkey.

https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2018/10/dutch-jihadi-guilty-of-war-crimes-public-prosecutor-says/

Report: Social Safety insufficient in Dutch Army

The report of the Giebels commission found that the culture in the Dutch army is such that some soldiers do not feel safe there. If one has a complaint one doesn’t know where to lodge it, when it will be dealt with and who will see it. There is also a lack of objectivity and independence among those who investigate the complaints. The Ministry of Defense has now announced that there will be an independent hotline for complaints.

https://www.ad.nl/binnenland/defensiecultuur-werkt-misstanden-in-de-hand~a61ddb29/

Minister of Defense: Netherlands is in a Cyber War with Russia

Dutch Minister of Defense, Ank Bijleveld, said that the Netherlands is involved in a cyber war with Russia.  In April, four Russian military personnel were expelled because they wanted to hack the wifi network of the organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons in the Hague.  Bijleveld said that the Russian cyber tactics are very dangerous, for instance, in influencing elections.  Dutch military intelligence and security service, MIVD, said that the Chinese are also very active in this area.

https://www.ad.nl/buitenland/bijleveld-nederland-in-cyberoorlog-met-russen~ac0b5320/