Report

Inhuman and Unnecessary: Human Rights Violations in Dutch High-Security Prisons in the Context of Counterterrorism

First page of PDF with filename: inhuman-unnecessary-dutch-detention-english-20171027.pdf
Inhuman and Unnecessary: Human Rights Violations in Dutch High-Security Prisons in the Context of Counterterrorism Download the 62-page report. 633.01 Kb, PDF Download
First page of PDF with filename: inhuman-unnecessary-dutch-detention-exec-summary-english-20171027.pdf
Inhuman and Unnecessary: Human Rights Violations in Dutch High-Security Prisons in the Context of Counterterrorism (Executive Summary and Recommendations) Download the 12-page executive summary. 277.65 Kb, PDF Download
Date
October 2017

In the Netherlands, individuals who are suspected or convicted on terrorism charges are held in two special high-security detention units, known as terroristenafdeling, or TA.

In these facilities, people suspected of even nonviolent offenses are subject to the same extreme levels of control as those who have been convicted. That includes extensive daily confinement in their cells and intrusive body searches, whether or not the individual in question poses a genuine threat.

This report, Inhuman and Unnecessary: Human Rights Violations in Dutch High-Security Prisons in the Context of Counterterrorism, by researchers from the Open Society Justice Initiative and Amnesty International Netherlands, reveals the fundamental flaws in the TA system. It draws on scores of interviews with former detainees, prison officials, and others in the Netherlands’ justice system. It calls for urgent changes to ensure that a system designed to protect the citizens of the Netherlands does not do so at the expense of human rights.

Topics

Learn more about the tools we use to empower and protect

How we work

Get In Touch

Contact Us

Subscribe for Updates About Our Work

By entering your email address and clicking “Submit,” you agree to receive updates from the Open Society Justice Initiative about our work. To learn more about how we use and protect your personal data, please view our privacy policy.