Russian Minister: Netherlands Breaks All International Conventions

Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov says that Dutch police have broken all international conventions by arresting a Russian diplomat. He added that it is absurd that this is happening in the legal capital of the world, The Hague. Russia does not accept the Dutch explanations and demands apologies. Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans says that he wants to wait for the results of the police investigation of this matter. www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/2686/Binnenland/article/detail/3523659/2013/10/08/Rusland-Nederland-overtreedt-alle-internationale-conventies.dhtml

Mayor: Punishing Moroccan Criminals hardly helps

Bernt Schneiders, Mayor of Haarlem says that punishing a small group of mainly young Moroccan criminals does not help. He reacted to two recent violent incidents in the town. A 20-year old woman was beaten by 6 Moroccans. Two days later, two old women 88 and 90, were attacked by two Moroccans. None of the perpetrators have been caught. The Mayor said: “A small minority cannot be rehabilitated. Only long-term jail time can protect society.” www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/21953486/___Geen_effect_straf_Marokkanen___.html

Government doesn’t know whether 1.8 billion Euro Social Security Payments were Justified

The Tax Agency does not know whether 1.8 billion Euro Social Security payments were justified. This information was provided by Parliamentarian Pieter Omtzigt (Christian Democrat). He had asked Deputy Minister of Finance Frans Weekers (Liberals) questions about social security payments during the years 2008-2012. Omtzigt said that the tax agency has 8 weeks to control whether a person is entitled to a social security payment. He added that this should be possible because a pharmacy can do it in one minute. www.volkskrant.nl/vk/nl/2686/Binnenland/article/detail/3522438/2013/10/06/Onduidelijkheid-over-1-8-miljard-uitgekeerde-toeslagen.dhtml

From Youth Gangs to Dangerous Criminals

One third of the members of three notorious criminal youth groups have developed into dangerous criminals since the beginning of the last decade. They started at a young age by causing public disturbances, intimidation and threats in their neighborhood. In the meantime, they have developed into drug and human traffickers. This results from a new study which has just been published. The three criminal groups were those in Amsterdam West (mainly Moroccan), in the Kanaleneiland neighborhood in Utrecht (Moroccan) and the Krispijn group in Dordrecht (Antillean). At the end of 2012, the Netherlands had 976 problematic youth groups. Out of them, most caused public disturbances, while 6% was criminal. The successful criminals have much influence in their neighborhood because they have much money. www.google.co.il/?gws_rd=cr&ei=_h9RUuGGCerb0QXhnoHIBw#q=trouw,+jeugdbende+kweekt+zware+criminelen&tbm=nws

Greek Soccer Fans Destroy Coffee House; Police cannot Locate Them

About twenty fans of the Greek soccer club PAOK from Saloniki fought with each other in the center of Amsterdam. Several of them entered into a coffee shop and threw the furniture into the street. The police were not able to find the fans. http://www.at5.nl/artikelen/112050/poak-fans-slopen-cafe-de-dam

Many Municipalities do not respect Alcohol Laws

Since January 1 the responsibility for preventing youngsters under 16 years of age to drink alcohol has been transferred to the municipalities. Forty percent of these have not yet established an “alcohol police force.” This results from a study done by Bureau Horeca Byzondere Wetten. Many small communities do nothing at all in this field. Former Inspector Feije Dillema said that these municipalities lack money to hire people who control whether coffeehouses, restaurants, supermarkets and liquor shops respect the law. www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/21934778/__Jeugd_heeft_vrij_spel_met_drank__.html

Amnesty International: Netherlands Remains Silent on Human Rights Issues in Saudi Arabia

The persecution of human rights defenders in Saudi Arabia has greatly increased since 2011. The Dutch government however, remains silent about this. This was concluded by Amnesty International in a new report. All the Netherlands has done in this case is silent diplomacy. There are no indications that it has any effect. As the Netherlands reacts publicly on human rights offenses in Iran, Egypt and Russia, this creates the impression that the Netherlands uses double standards. By not making optimal efforts to deal with Saudi Arabia’s human rights offenses, it betrays the human rights defenders in the country. A poll carried out found that two thirds of the Dutch population considers that the Netherlands have to support Saudi Arabian human rights defenders publicly. www.amnesty.nl/nieuwsportaal/nieuws/nederland-laat-saudische-mensenrechtenverdedigers-in-de-kou-staan