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PRESSRELEASEPRESSRELEASEPRESSRELEASEPRESSRELEASE Protest against extradition outside Justice Minister Donner's house Activists place container outside Minister Donner's house, protesting the impending extradition of Maarten Blok to Sweden. Den Haag, December 17th, 2003 Today we are protesting outside Justice Minister Donner's house. From 07.00 o'clock this morning we have put a container there which is 'blocking' the way out. In this manner we are trying to convey to Donner the choice Maarten Blok had in 2001. If you wake up in the morning and your only way out has suddenly been blocked by a container, what do you do? Do you climb over it? Climbing over a container is the only act Maarten has committed during the 2001 Euro Summit in Sweden. Sweden is now requesting his extradition, because he is supposed to have struck a police officer on the container. All evidence contradicts this however. Maarten is asking for an opportunity to prove his innocence in a Dutch court, just as all other foreign suspects of the Euro Summit are getting. The Netherlands are the only country extraditing people to Sweden for these trials. On top of this the Swedish court he will have to appear in has since become notorious for its lack of objectivity, its boundless faith in 'infallible' police witnesses who contradict each other, evidence which has been tampered with, and on top of this it hands out punishments that are 10 to 17 times higher than customary. Why is the Dutch Justice Department so in favour of extradition? Why are Dutch citizens protected less than citizens of other EU-countries? We are hoping Minister Donner will have a re-think about this due to our protest today. In order for him to have a fair trial it is of the greatest importance that Maarten is not extradited to Sweden, but has his case tried in the Netherlands. Therefore: No extraditing Maarten! More information: Maarten's Support Group (on site): 06-42356735 END OF PRESS RELEASE
Johannes Abeling Photography
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