Statements by State Secretary and Prime Minister Not Punishable

The Public Prosecution Service concludes that the statements made by State Secretary Jurgen Nobel and Prime Minister Dick Schoof after the disturbances around the Ajax - Maccabi match in Amsterdam are not punishable. According to the PPS, the statements were offensive in themselves but were allowed from their official positions and within the public debate.

State Secretary Nobel of Participation and Integration said to NOS among other things: If you see and hear the images, there were Arabic texts, then you know they are young people with an Islamic background. With an Arabic background. And also: Islamic youths largely do not endorse our norms and values.

The Public Prosecution Service considers that the State Secretary expressed himself in a nuanced way about minority groups (Islamic youths and youths of Arabic descent) by stating after the events in Amsterdam that they would not endorse our norms and values. In his role as State Secretary for Participation and Integration, he enjoyed broad freedom to express critical views on the integration of population groups within the public debate, without fear of prosecution. Therefore, the PPS concludes that these statements do not constitute punishable group insult.

When journalists asked the Prime Minister about the statements of the State Secretary, the Prime Minister expressed himself in a similar manner about a part of the Islamic youths. His statements were also made within the framework of public debate and are, according to the PPS, not punishable.