by Taylor Hudak

“I have never considered giving up for a second. There is simply too much at stake. I am not fighting this battle out of self-interest, but for the restoration of the democratic rule of law. And if I were to give in, I would not only be betraying myself and my principles, but also my homeland and all the people who want to work together to build a just society.”
~ Gideon van Meijeren

Introduction

Gideon van Meijeren is a Member of the Dutch House of Representatives for Forum for Democracy (FVD) and is widely regarded in the Netherlands as one of the most prominent and influential parliamentarians within his parliamentary group. Trained as a jurist, he is known, by supporters and critics alike, as a Member of Parliament who has a profound command of legislation and legal procedure, particularly in the fields of constitutional law, criminal law, and legislative drafting.

Since being elected to office in 2021, Van Meijeren has consistently focused on issues related to the rule of law, the separation of powers, freedom of expression, democratic oversight, and the limitation of state power. He is known for rigorously questioning ministers not only on policy, but on the constitutional basis, proportionality, and democratic legitimacy of their actions.

Outside Parliament, Van Meijeren has become a visible figure in the public and legal debate. He regularly appears in interviews and on podcasts (particularly in the New Media) and is a frequent speaker at lectures, demonstrations, expert panels, and other public events, where he reflects on democratic theory, civil disobedience, and historical patterns of institutional power expansion. His stance during and after the Covid-19 period, as well as his involvement in debates surrounding the Dutch farmers’ protests, have generated considerable political and societal discussion. (Read Gideon van Meijeren’s full biography here.)

While Van Meijeren has enjoyed a successful term challenging the current government as a Member of the House of Representatives, his battles against the establishment also extend to the courtroom, where he has been defending himself against charges of incitement since 2023. This high-stakes case not only has the potential to shape the Dutch political scene, it also seeks to indirectly grant new power to the courts to document, assess, and place value judgments on political opinions deemed unacceptable or potentially threatening. The case against Gideon van Meijeren is more than just a legal matter—it is the culmination of when a dishonest media meets corrupt politicians and malleable prosecutors.

Facts of the Case

In 2023, Gideon van Meijeren was charged by the District Public Prosecutor’s Office of The Hague on two counts of incitement to violent action against public authority under Article 131 of the Dutch Criminal Code.

The two charges stem from statements made during two separate occasions—the first on July 2, 2022, in Tuil, the Netherlands, and the second on October 10, 2022, in The Hague, the Netherlands (video published on November 13, 2022).

Van Meijeren asserts that, in both instances, his statements have been selectively edited. This is evident in the ellipses that appear several times in each passage, indicating where certain statements have been spliced together and where others have been completely removed. For the full context, readers are encouraged to read the entirety of both passages here.

1. Speech at the Farmers’ Forum: July 2, 2022

Van Meijeren presented a lecture at a closed farmers’ forum in Tuil. It was a private meeting held on private property and was only accessible to those who reserved a ticket in advance. Van Meijeren’s presentation was recorded and uploaded to FVD’s YouTube channel in two parts—the first part was posted on July 4 and the second on July 11. Van Meijeren’s statements were made in Dutch. Below is an English translation of the statements as they appear in the indictment.

“But what is also important to realize for a moment is that it is not always healthy in a democracy when there is a taboo on the use of violence. (…) And a taboo on violence, which currently rests on society while the state holds the monopoly on violence, can also ensure that the state never has anything to fear. (…) And do not forget either that even in our current Criminal Code an exception has been made to the prohibition on the use of violence. Article 41 of the Criminal Code provides that it is permitted to use violence if that is necessary to protect one’s own or another’s body, honor, or property against an unlawful attack. (…) And I also think it is important to show that fighting spirit, that militancy, because ultimately it can and must never be the case that farmers allow themselves to be driven from their land like meek lambs. Never. And, indeed, absolutely never. (…) At the end of the day, we all also have the right of resistance. (…) if that government abuses its monopoly on violence against its own population, then we are no longer dealing with a benevolent government, but with a malevolent, tyrannical government that must fall, that must go.”

2. Interview with Compleetdenkers: Recorded October 10, 2022 (published November 13, 2022)

Van Meijeren recorded an interview in The Hague on October 10, 2022, with journalist Steven Arrazola de Oñate for the Belgian podcast Compleetdenkers. The interview was published on November 13, 2022, on YouTube and Spotify. Van Meijeren’s statements were made in Dutch. Below is an English translation of the statements as they appear in the indictment.

“Plus, I think, yes, what we are doing here in parliament as such is pointless, the demonstrations as such are pointless. (…) in the past, in history, it has of course happened more often that regimes which really began to behave tyrannically were at some point brought down by the population. Because in the end we do have the numbers, and I do think that if that mass becomes so large and, so to speak, truly turns into a revolutionary movement, which of course clearly distinguishes itself from a protest movement (…) But a revolutionary movement in which it becomes so urgent for people who have nothing left to lose that they, so to speak, go to parliament and say: we are simply not going to leave here until the government is gone. Where unfortunately the past, and numerous other examples worldwide, show that there are often also victims, sometimes fatal victims.”

Note: Immediately following the last statement referencing fatal victims, Van Meijeren stated:

“That is terrible, and let’s hope we can prevent that and that everything remains peaceful. But that is what I ultimately hope for. It is sometimes referred to as a velvet revolution.”

However, the Public Prosecution Service did not include this in the indictment. Readers are, once again, encouraged to read the statements in their full context here.

The Aftermath

On July 12, 2022, following the publication of a second video of Van Meijeren’s presentation at the farmers’ forum in Tuil, the Public Prosecution Service launched a preliminary investigation into Van Meijeren’s statements with the purpose of forming an initial assessment of their criminal liability.

During this preliminary investigation, which lasted until the end of November 2022, the Public Prosecution Service gathered and assessed open source material such as speeches, interviews, and social media posts made by Van Meijeren, including his interview with the Belgian podcast, Compleetdenkers, which was published on November 13, 2022.

While the news of a preliminary investigation into Van Meijeren generated significant media attention, what followed the publication of the November 13, 2022, Compleetdenkers interview was notable.

A Coordinated Attack

On the evening of November 13, 2022, after the release of the interview, the Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS), which is part of the Dutch public broadcasting service and is funded by the Dutch government, published an article (featuring Van Meijeren’s Compleetdenkers interview) titled, “FVD MP Van Meijeren talks about occupying the House of Representatives.” This article contained a factual inaccuracy, namely that Van Meijeren advocated “to occupy Parliament.” This led to a media frenzy followed by widespread condemnation of Van Meijeren for something he did not say.

To reiterate, Van Meijeren never used the term “occupy.” Instead, Van Meijeren stated that he hoped there would be a peaceful movement that, figuratively speaking, goes to Parliament and advocates for a change in government. This is an important distinction given that occupying the House of Representatives is a criminal offense, whereas peacefully demonstrating at Parliament is a democratic right.

Eventually, NOS published a corrected article the following day. However, Van Meijeren argued that this incident was incredibly damaging for several reasons. The original article, with its incorrect headline and reporting, was at the top and front page of the NOS website and app for hours. Based on the average NOS daily visitors to the app and website, the article was likely viewed by at least 1.4 to 2 million people.

Furthermore, immediately following the publication of the original NOS article, several members of the cabinet and House of Representatives publicly commented on Van Meijeren’s remarks from the interview, reiterating a similar sentiment—namely, their strong disapproval of Van Meijeren’s statements.

Prominent individuals, including then-Minister of Finance and Deputy PM Sigrid Kaag and Minister of Justice and Security Dilan Yesilgöz, referred to Van Meijeren’s statements as “despicable incitement” and even suggested that this might be a matter for the Public Prosecution Service to investigate. The defense maintained that these comments from Minister Kaag and Minister Yesilgöz could have an unfair influence on the outcome of the trial and could point to the political motives of the prosecution.

X posts from former Minister of Finance and Deputy PM Sigrid Kaag and Minister of Justice and Security Dilan Yesilgöz

Even the then-Prime Minister Mark Rutte posted about the interview, in which he said, “A member of parliament today speculated about disrupting the democratic process. That is reprehensible and totally irresponsible. The House of Representatives is the heart of our democracy, our most precious political asset.” (The post has since been deleted.)

In the subsequent weeks, several news reports and television programs repeated the incorrect reporting from the original NOS article. Such news items also featured legal experts and attorneys whose understanding of the matter was clearly based off of the initial incorrect article.

“To this day, I still encounter statements from people who believe that I called for the occupation of the House of Representatives and who, for that false reason, think it is right that I am standing trial today.”

~ Gideon van Meijeren (May 28, 2024)

Throughout the course of the preliminary investigation, there were 16 complaints of incitement and one report filed with various departments of the Public Prosecution Service and police across the country. In November 2022, the preliminary investigation was closed, and at the end of December 2022, the Public Prosecution Service submitted the open sources and complaints to the Attorney General and the Supreme Court.

By the beginning of April 2023, the Attorney General decided not to handle the complaints himself. That same month, the Public Prosecution Service then decided to initiate an official criminal investigation, called Eppelheim, which it launched on May 1, 2023. (Note: Investigations in the Netherlands are given random names, such as “Eppelheim.” It does not have any meaning.)

Van Meijeren then obtained a defense lawyer, Attorney Boriana Petkova, and the prosecution continued to be led by Public Prosecutor Wieger Veldhuis, who also facilitated the preliminary investigation. It is worth noting that Veldhuis has had several media appearances during the past years.

In one interview, in particular, with the Wayamo Foundation published on November 23, 2023, Veldhuis discussed “the Netherlands’ pursuit of universal jurisdiction (terrorism) cases” in countries like Iraq and Syria. When asked what type of evidence Dutch prosecutors rely on when bringing these cases to court, Veldhuis responded that “it is a lot of OSINT [open source intelligence] evidence, it is technical evidence, video footage, pictures, social media evidence—that is what we rely on.” The interviewer immediately followed up and asked how the Dutch courts have treated open source information as evidence and inquired about its admissibility. Veldhuis responded that OSINT investigators within the war crimes unit obtain much of that evidence themselves, but went on to state, “we also have examples that we got a percentage from witnesses.” In other words, one may interpret Veldhuis’ statements to mean that open source information is often provided to the prosecutors by witnesses or individuals who are not employed as official investigators.

The Hearing—May 28, 2024

A substantive hearing took place at the District Court of The Hague before a multi-judge chamber on May 28, 2024.

In order for the court to render a conviction of incitement, each of the following four criteria must be met:

1. Incitement must be regarded as an instigation to commit an unlawful act. The act must be punishable under Dutch law. (It is not a requirement that the act actually be committed.)
2. Intent (which may be conditional).
3. Must occur in a public place (the Internet can be considered a public place).
4. The statements must have been made verbally, in writing, or through an image.

Furthermore, a conviction does not require that the suspect’s statement(s) have led to any criminal acts. Nor is it required that it be reasonably likely that the criminal act is likely to occur. Additionally, the context, the audience, and other factors—including the content and the meaning of the statements—must be considered.

During the hearing on May 28, 2024, Van Meijeren addressed the court during his preliminary defense and called upon the judges to dismiss the case. He argued that the case was driven by political motives and that this infringed on his right to a fair trial. In doing so, Van Meijeren addressed the fact that many of his public appearances, media interviews, and social media posts had been documented and analyzed by investigators, despite those statements not being the subject of any criminal charge.

It is worth noting that the prosecution’s closing argument contained the following passage:

“The defendant calls for rebellion against the government. The defendant has long held the view that the Netherlands no longer has a functioning democracy. Laws are enacted unlawfully and citizens are being lied to. According to the suspect, there is no longe
Note: The Solari Report will continue to provide updates on the case as they become available.r a purely political solution. He says: ‘I have repeatedly defended the position that we must resist the tyrannical government fiercely and vehemently. Resistance is necessary, even imperative.’ This has been the suspect’s consistent line in public appearances since January 2022.

These are abrasive remarks. They are also disturbing, coming from a member of parliament. But they are not punishable in themselves.

On two occasions, however, the defendant supplemented his call for insurrection with an incitement to violence. In the opinion of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, this crosses a criminal law boundary. These are serious offenses in which the defendant persists in his statements. These statements were made in the context of social unrest and anti-government sentiment, which led to heated tempers.”

In other words, a core component to the prosecution’s argument is that Van Meijeren’s calls to resistance are inciting when combined with his persistent dissemination of certain political views in which he is critical of the Dutch government. During the preliminary defense, Van Meijeren argued that the judges were thus being asked to place a value judgment on political opinions, which is beyond the obligations of a court, which is intended to be politically neutral.

“The answer to the question of whether my call for resistance is punishable, is made dependent—by the Public Prosecution Service itself—on my political views. Those political views will, therefore, have to be assessed by you (the judges). Otherwise, those many statements would not need to be included in the file.”

~ Gideon van Meijeren (May 28, 2024)

Van Meijeren then reflected on the considerable time and energy that he had had to put toward this case. He also referenced the Political Parties Act, which was submitted to the Council of State on April 8, 2024 (just one month prior to the hearing). This proposal would allow for the Council of Europe to ban political parties if a party advocates violence to achieve political goals. In addition, it considers the actions of a political party member attributable to the entire party (in certain contexts).

Additionally, Van Meijeren addressed the incident in which the government-funded media, NOS, published a highly deceptive article following his Compleetdenkers interview of November 13, 2022. Van Meijeren argued that Minister Kaag’s and Minister Yesilgöz’s public statements, which followed the publication of the article, might have influenced the prosecutor to pursue this case and might influence the judges to issue a ruling that aligns with the position of (previously) high-ranking government officials.

Van Meijeren concluded that each of these points undermined his right to a fair trial and that the case ought to be dismissed. Public Prosecutor Veldhuis responded to Van Meijeren’s preliminary defense and asserted that his decision to pursue prosecution was not influenced by anyone or any outside factors.

Following consideration of Van Meijeren’s request, the court largely dismissed the points addressed in his preliminary defense. The judges accepted the public prosecutor’s assertion that he was not influenced, and the hearing proceeded.

Unacceptable Opinions

Videos depicting a recording of both statements subject to criminal prosecution were played before the court, followed by a question-and-answer session between Van Meijeren, the public prosecutor, and the judges. Defense lawyer Attorney Boriana Petkova was also given an opportunity to question her client.

At this time, Van Meijeren continued to reiterate that he called for peaceful, nonviolent resistance. Markedly, the public prosecutor also questioned Van Meijeren regarding his statements from other events, which were included in the case file as open sources (but were not subject to criminal charges).

To put it into perspective, the public prosecutor specifically asked Van Meijeren: “When did you learn about the World Economic Forum (WEF) conspiracy theory?” And shortly thereafter, he asked, “did you have any idea how many people might take action because of the mention of that World Economic Forum story?”—as if to suggest that the mere mention of the WEF could lead people to take action (therefore, best not to mention the WEF at all).

Following this question-and-answer session, the prosecution delivered its closing arguments in which Public Prosecutor Veldhuis argued that Van Meijeren’s public speeches and debates revealed several consistent themes, including the following:

• That there is a “malicious tyrannical government” that turned against the population
• That the government lies
• That laws are unjust
• That democracy no longer functions properly

The public prosecutor referred to these themes as “the background against which the defendant calls for resistance.”

Similarly, the public prosecutor reiterated that Van Meijeren had made statements “against the backdrop of conspiracy theories surrounding nitrogen and anti-coronavirus measures, the alleged role that the WEF would play in this… and the secret influence of the WEF on the Dutch government in this regard.”

(Note: In the timeline below, the official report of findings for the open sources are grouped into similar themes based on content.)

Additionally, the prosecution reflected on the emotions and other characteristics of the audience to which Van Meijeren was speaking during the July 2, 2022, farmers’ forum private event. The prosecution stated that emotions were heightened and there were feelings of uncertainty and insecurity among the population. The prosecution also cited several protest actions and demonstrations to illustrate the general atmosphere at the time in which both statements were made.

The prosecutor continued to reference several speeches and interviews from Van Meijeren that were not the subject of the criminal charges but were included in the case file as open sources. With reference to the two statements which form the basis of the two counts of incitement, the prosecutor argued that, in both instances, Van Meijeren had intent and knowingly accepted the considerable risk that his statements could lead to violent action.

The prosecution stated that if the court found that Van Meijeren’s statements met the criteria for incitement, the court must then assess if a conviction is compatible with Article 10 Freedom of Expression of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Special protections do apply to politicians when expressing themselves. However, the prosecutor argued that Van Meijeren’s speech and his calls for resistance are not protected under Article 10 of the ECHR and that a restriction on freedom of expression in this case would be justified for the protection of the public order.

The Intelligence Angle: AIVD report

Following the conclusion of the prosecution’s closing argument, the defense was given the opportunity to address the court again. Van Meijeren cited several legal irregularities and misrepresentations in his case. He clarified the content of his statements, indicating that he advocated for peaceful, nonviolent demonstrations and that “Article 41 of the Criminal Code recognizes that there are legitimate circumstances in which self-defense, even if violent, may be necessary and justified to protect one’s own body, honor, or property.” Van Meijeren also referred to then-Prime Minister Mark Rutte, who in November 2021, acknowledged this right to revolt during a debate on Covid-19 restrictions.

Furthermore, Van Meijeren remarked that there were striking similarities between the prosecution’s characterization of his messaging and the rhetoric used in the AIVD report of May 2022, a report addressing “anti-institutional extremism.” (Note: The AIVD report is published annually by the General Intelligence and Security Service of the Netherlands and provides an assessment of security risks and domestic threats.)

What’s more, the AIVD report for May 2022 was published on April 17, 2023, around the same time that the Public Prosecution Service decided to launch its official investigation into Van Meijeren.

Attorney Petkova, for the defense, addressed the court on this specific matter as well, arguing that the anti-institutional extremism section of the AIVD report specifically refers to a movement that believes an “evil elite” controlling the leadership in the Netherlands seeks to cause harm to the population. According to the AIVD report, this narrative could undermine democracy and, therefore, it is considered a potential threat.

Continuing on this topic, Attorney Petkova stated:

“After all, it is striking, to say the least, that the Public Prosecution Service first assessed the statements made by the client in July 2022 and then again in November 2022, but only decided to prosecute in May 2023, at the same time as the publication of the AIVD report.”

She continued to address the substance of the case and argued for Van Meijeren to be acquitted on both charges. However, Petkova stated that if the court found Van Meijeren’s statements met the criteria for incitement, he should not be convicted as his statements are protected under Article 10 of the ECHR, which guarantees the right to freedom of expression.

The Fate of All Dutch Citizens

At the conclusion of the one-day hearing on May 28, 2024, Van Meijeren was the last person to address the court, in which he opened up personally. He shared his motivation for becoming a public servant and revealed that prior to entering politics, he had led a peaceful life and had a promising future as a lawyer. However, he felt deeply concerned about the direction of his country, and while understanding the risks of becoming a public figure, sacrificed a comfortable life to enter politics with the goal of helping to create a better future for the Dutch people.

“But regardless of the outcome of this trial, I will continue to fight relentlessly for the restoration of our democracy. Even a conviction in this political trial will not lead to the end of my mission, but will instead confirm the need to continue.… In this case, you are not only judging my fate, but also the freedom of expression of all Dutch citizens and, with that, the foundation of freedom itself. So let your decision be based on the truth and let justice prevail.”

Nearly two weeks following the one-day hearing, on June 11, 2024, the court found Van Meijeren guilty on two counts of incitement. He was sentenced to 200 hours of community service or 100 days of imprisonment. Two days later, on June 13, Public Prosecutor Wieger Veldhuis was promoted to Advocate General of the International Crimes Department of the Public Prosecution Service (CTER).

Shortly after the judgment was issued, defense lawyer Petkova filed an appeal in July 2024. The grounds of appeal concerned the court’s rejection of two defense witnesses, the rejection of the defendant’s request during his preliminary defense, the court’s reliance on a one-sided historical context in which the statements in question were made, the court’s erroneous characterization of the defendant’s statements as “inciting,” and the misinterpretation of Article 10 ECHR—namely, that the defendant’s speech was not protected under freedom of expression.

The Appeal Hearing

On January 28 and 29, 2026, a two-day appeal hearing took place at the Court of Appeal in The Hague.

On the first day, Van Meijeren presented his preliminary defense, which largely mirrored the arguments he had put forward at first instance on May 28, 2024. As before, he argued at length that his prosecution bears the hallmarks of a political trial, and that the court of first instance had wrongly dismissed or inadequately addressed his arguments on that point. In the appeal, he added an important new element, invoking the principle of equality: according to Van Meijeren, comparable statements made by politicians from other political backgrounds have not led to prosecution, which in his view points to unequal treatment.

The court indicated that it was unable to rule immediately on this preliminary defense. Given the complexity and sensitivity of the issues raised, the judges stated that a careful assessment was required. A decision on these points, including the question of the admissibility of the Public Prosecution Service, will, therefore, be delivered together with the final judgment.

The second day of the hearing was devoted to the main defense. Van Meijeren systematically dismantled the reasoning of the lower court’s judgment, addressing it point by point. His performance was widely noted for its legal precision and thorough command of the case file, earning him recognition even beyond his own political supporters.

Later that day, the defense presented a video statement by Prof. Dr. Andreas Kinneging, Professor of Legal Philosophy at Leiden University. In the video, Kinneging outlined the concept of the right of resistance within the Western legal tradition and concluded that Van Meijeren’s statements about the state of the country were both appropriate and justified in that context. Although the Advocate General initially objected to the screening of the video, the court rejected those objections and admitted Kinneging’s statement into the proceedings.

Throughout both days, the public gallery was filled to capacity with supporters of Van Meijeren, while tens of thousands of others followed the hearings via a livestream. The presiding judge was repeatedly forced to intervene when Van Meijeren’s submissions were met with warm applause.

At the conclusion of the appeal hearing, the court announced that its judgment will be delivered on March 5, 2026, at 1pm, at which time it will also rule on the admissibility of the Public Prosecution Service.

(Note: The Solari Report will continue to provide updates on the case as they become available.)

Case Timeline

The following is a timeline of the relevant events in the case against Dutch Member of Parliament Gideon van Meijeren (Forum for Democracy). The timeline compiles information from court documents submitted by the prosecution and defense as well as relevant material in the public domain. The case file included several official reports of findings related to the open sources retrieved and analyzed during the investigation. These official reports of findings are documented throughout the timeline and were drawn up, signed, and closed by one or more investigating officers of the National Criminal Investigation Division (Rijksrecherche).

The investigating officers of the National Criminal Investigation Division grouped significant protest events as well as links to Van Meijeren’s speeches, interviews, and social media posts (open sources) into five official reports of findings based on themes such as, “narrative,” “social events related to the farmer’s forum,” “World Economic Forum,” “expert authority,” and “revolutionary movement.” Additionally, there is a dedicated official report of findings for each statement and its corresponding open source(s). Some open sources have a separate “reaction” report, in which the comment section of a video or post is documented and analyzed.

Disclaimer: The court documents and online media reports, which were relied upon to form the timeline below, were translated from (original) Dutch to English using DeepL translation. Social media posts were translated from (original) Dutch to English using X’s translation function.

2020 – 2021

May 20, 2020: During a press conference, then-Prime Minister Mark Rutte calls on young people to “start a bit of the revolution.”

February 24, 2021: During a plenary debate on Covid-19 developments, then-Prime Minister Rutte acknowledges the right to revolt in a reference to a famous quote from former Prime Minister of the Netherlands Abraham Kuyper (1901–1905):

“In every successful attack on freedom, therefore, the State can never be anything but an accomplice; the main culprit remains the citizen himself, who, in sin and sensual pleasure, has weakened his moral strength and lost the power of initiative.”

March 3, 2021: Van Meijeren begins his position as a Member of the House of Representatives on behalf of Forum voor Democratie (Forum for Democracy or FVD).

2022

January 2, 2022: Van Meijeren delivers a speech at a demonstration against Covid-19 measures and restrictions at Westerpark in Amsterdam. During the speech, Van Meijeren refers to 2022 as the year of truth, resistance, and civil disobedience.

This speech is one of several open sources retrieved and reviewed by Public Prosecutor Wieger Veldhuis as part of a preliminary investigation (and eventually an official investigation) into Van Meijeren’s statements from July 2, 2022, at a farmer’s forum in Tuil, and Van Meijeren’s statements from an interview with the Belgian podcast Compleetdenkers published on November 13, 2022. (The official report of findings of open sources is drawn up and forwarded to the National Criminal Investigation Division on June 15, 2023, following the launch of an official investigation on May 1, 2023.)

This speech is included in the official reports of findings on the themes of “narrative” and “World Economic Forum.”

January 5, 2022: Max van den Berg, also referred to as the “torch man,” who is a supporter of Van Meijeren, visits the home of then-Minister of Finance (and First Deputy Prime Minister) Sigrid Kaag with a burning torch. This incident is cited by the prosecution when describing the political and social climate during the time in which Van Meijeren’s statements in question were made.

Additional context: A lantern procession had been organized to walk through the streets and peacefully draw attention to the perceived barbarity of the Covid measures and restrictions. Some participants carried lanterns, while others carried torches. Van den Berg was carrying a torch, and when the procession passed Minister Kaag’s house, he decided to ring her doorbell to try to engage in a conversation with her. (He did this while being filmed, and the entire event was broadcast live on YouTube.) Minister Kaag reported that she felt very threatened by this.

January 8, 2022: Max van den Berg posts on X a video speaking about the “Gideonsbende” (Gideon’s gang) as the “torchbearers of freedom.”

Note: At the time of publication, it appears the post is no longer available.

February 5, 2022: The Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS), which is part of the Dutch public broadcasting service and is funded by the Dutch government, publishes an article titled, “Members of Parliament on increase in threats: ‘This is playing with fire.’” In summary, the article covers the alleged threats against Member of the House of Representatives Nilufer Gündogan (Volt) following FVD statements.

An excerpt from the article reads as follows:

“Members of the House of Representatives are very concerned about the increased number of threats to politicians. They also see the polarized debate as a danger to democracy. They mainly blame MPs for Forum for Democracy (FvD) for contributing to the hardening of the political climate with their statements.

Christian Union leader Gert-Jan Segers calls statements by FvD MPs about the ‘tyrannical’ government and that people ‘must resist’ scary. ‘I am more convinced than ever about the vulnerability of our rule of law,’ Segers says. ‘We have seen that in the storming of the Capitol in the United States, deaths have occurred. That can happen if you play with fire, and this is playing with fire.’”

The article specifically highlights the alleged threats against MP Gündogan (Volt), in which she seems to suggest Van Meijeren may be partly responsible. The article goes on to state, “The FvD’er (Van Meijeren) says he advocates peaceful resistance, and does not think there is a link between his statements and threatening mails. He also does not feel responsible for it.”

The Dutch news organization Nieuwsuur posts to X a video excerpt from the House of Representatives combined with reactions from MP Gündogan and other Dutch politicians.

Member of the House of Representatives Lisa Westerveld (GrL) responds to the Nieuwsuur tweet in a re-post. Westerveld refers to Van Meijeren’s remarks as a “threat.”

April 2022: The Dutch Terrorism Threat Assessment (DTN) is published in the National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism (NCTV), which includes a section on anti-government extremism.

This is referenced in the prosecution’s closing argument to indicate that the statements in question were made during a time in which there were intense social and constitutional tensions.

Throughout the months of June and July, a series of protests continue throughout the country. These events are referenced in the official reports of findings, the prosecution’s closing argument, and the judgment. Several of the following events are included in an official report of findings on the theme of “social events related to the farmers’ forum.” The report was drawn up, closed, and signed by an officer of the National Criminal Investigation Department on November 2, 2023.

Note: While there are varying perspectives on the tone of the farmers’ protests and demonstrations, the events included below are presented (albeit more concisely) as they appear in the evidentiary and court documents.

June 10, 2022: The Dutch Minister for Nitrogen and Nature Policy, Christianne van der Wal, announces a plan to reduce Dutch nitrogen greenhouse gas emissions by 12% to 70% (depending on the area) by 2030. The new policy would require a radical change to farming practices, and in some instances, require farmers to abandon their businesses entirely. This leads to protests across the country.

June 10, 2022: Farmers visit the home of Minister Van der Wal in protest of the nitrogen plans outlined earlier that day.

June 11, 2022: Farmers hang banners above the A2 motorway near Boxtel using tractors. A sign with the name of “Minister Van der Wal” is also displayed. During the evening, a car tire and pallet are set on fire at the De Ketting viaduct.

June 14, 2022: The train tracks in Lievelde are blocked, and two trains are chained together at the Lichtenvoorde-Groenlo station.

June 15, 2022: As part of a protest, a doll is hung from a crane above the viaduct near the village of Azelo.

June 21, 2022: Van Meijeren publishes a video stating that the agricultural sector is on the brink and calls for mass resistance against the nitrogen policy.

June 22, 2022: A national protest day takes place in Stroe.

June 23, 2022: A debate on the nitrogen policy is held in the House of Representatives.

June 25, 2022: During a speech in Lichtenvoorde at a “positivity evening,” organized by Forum voor Democratie (FVD) Doetinchem in collaboration with the organization, Achterhoek voor Vrijheid (Achterhoek for Freedom), Van Meijeren states the current system is “rotten” and must collapse so the people can reclaim power.

This speech is one of several open sources retrieved and reviewed by investigators. This speech is referenced in the official reports of findings on the themes of “narrative,” “expert authority,” and “World Economic Forum.”

June 27, 2022: Farmers protest on the A1 near Beekbergen.

June 28, 2022: The House of Representatives votes on the motions from the nitrogen policy debate that occurred on June 23, 2022. The cabinet votes to continue the nitrogen plans.

June 28, 2022: Several protests and demonstrations take place on various highways, including a blockade on the A1.

June 29, 2022: Van Meijeren posts on X that he will be speaking at “Boerenforum” (the farmers’ forum) on July 2.

June 29, 2022: Farmers’ protests continue throughout the country on various highways.

July 1, 2022: As previously announced by the organization “Nederland in Verzet” (The Netherlands in Resistance), protests take place in Harderwijk and elsewhere.

July 2, 2022: Van Meijeren delivers a lecture at a closed farmers’ forum organized by FVD in Tuil. Van Meijeren speaks, among other things, about breaking the taboo on violence, the right to self-defense (Article 41 of the Dutch Criminal Code), and the right of resistance against a “tyrannical government.” Additionally, Van Meijeren emphasizes that protests must always remain peaceful and non-violent. A portion of his statements are the subject of a criminal charge (Fact 1) in violation of Article 131(1) of the criminal code.

Two YouTube videos of the speech are included in the official report of open sources filed by Public Prosecutor Wieger Veldhuis on June 15, 2023, and subsequently forwarded to the National Criminal Investigation Department.

This speech is included in the official reports of findings on the themes of “narrative,” “expert authority,” “social events related to the farmers’ forum,” and “revolutionary movement.”

July 2, 2022: An article covering Van Meijeren’s speech at the farmers’ forum is published in Leidsch Dagblad by an ANP journalist who attended the event earlier that day. The report does not mention the alleged criminal statements nor does it suggest that Van Meijeren’s words were inflammatory or potentially inciting. Moreover, the journalist explicitly states, “Van Meijeren did call for protesting without violence.”

This article is also published in nieuws.nl and linda.nl, as well as several regional newspapers, including Rijswijks Dagblad, Dagblad van het Noorden, and De Limburger.

July 2, 2022: In Gorredijk, the entrance to the business of Member of Parliament Romke De Jong (D66) is blocked by tractors.

July 3, 2022: The action group, “Together for the Netherlands,” holds a protest march in Eindhoven.

July 4, 2022: The first part of Van Meijeren’s speech from July 2 at the farmers’ forum in Tuil is published on the FVD YouTube channel.

July 4, 2022: Large protests continue throughout the Netherlands. Farmers block 20 of the 35 distribution centers with tractors.

July 5, 2022: Various protest actions from the day earlier continue. During a blockade in Heerenveen, the police fire warning shots, and an officer shoots directly at a tractor driven by 16-year-old farmer, Jouke.

Additional context: The 16-year-old farmer, Jouke, was shot at from behind by the police, narrowly missing his head. Shortly afterward, the police posted a message on X, claiming they had fired at a farmer who was allegedly driving a tractor toward them. In reality, Jouke was moving away from the crowd. These details emerged due to a bystander who had filmed it on their phone.

July 6-12, 2022: In response to the shooting in Heerenveen, widespread outrage ensues and protests continue at airports, on highways, and at distribution centers, town halls, factories, and elsewhere during the next several days.

July 10, 2022: The second part of Van Meijeren’s speech from July 2 at the farmers’ forum in Tuil is published on FVD’s YouTube channel.

July 11, 2022: The Public Prosecution Service decides to initiate a preliminary investigation following the statements made by Van Meijeren on July 2, 2022. The purpose of the investigation is to form an initial assessment regarding the criminal liability of the statements in question and the advisability of possible prosecution. During this investigative period, the Public Prosecution Service also takes into account other public statements made by Van Meijeren, including from an interview published on November 13, 2022, with the Belgian podcast, Compleetdenkers. (This preliminary investigation officially begins the following day on July 12 and concludes on November 22, 2022.)

July 11, 2022: Member of Parliament Gündogan (Volt) calls on X for filing a complaint against Van Meijeren for his speech at the farmers’ forum on July 2. (The post is no longer available as Gündogan has since closed her X account.)

July 12, 2022: Gündogan officially files a complaint against Van Meijeren for his speech at the farmers’ forum on July 2. This development receives significant press coverage.

An article titled, “Gündogan files a complaint against fellow MP from FvD,” is published in the NOS.

An article published in Het Parool titled, “MP Nilufer Gündogan files a complaint against FvD member Gideon van Meijeren over farmers’ speech,” features three lawyers and one legal counsel.

• Lawyer Johan Mühren says, “Indeed a classic case of incitement.”
• Criminal lawyer Job Knoester says, “Prudent if the Public Prosecution Service takes action. This is dangerous.”
• Legal counsel Sidney Smeets says, “I would date it as a prosecutor.”
• Lawyer Mark-Jan Bouwman says, “Not impressed by the speech, but it remains just on the non-criminal side.”

An article titled, “FvD politician Gideon van Meijeren prosecuted for incitement over hints of violence against the government” is published in Volkskrant.

A report very similar to the report in Het Parool is published in Algemeen Dagblad, which includes an additional quote from Professor Henny Sackers, a specialist in speech-related offenses:

“A higher court will rule that he does not incite a crime, but during the Covid crisis we saw lower courts issue harsh judgments on statements comparable to what this politician is now calling for. So I can understand that there are lawyers who believe this could have legal consequences.”

July 12, 2022: Van Meijeren posts to X (then-Twitter), stating the following:

“The state is behaving like a tyrant who has turned against its own population. We are being unlawfully deprived of our most fundamental freedoms and civil rights. The Dutch people not only have the right, but even the moral duty to resist this.”

This post is included in the official report of findings on the “narrative” theme.

July 12 – November 22, 2022: During this preliminary investigation period, several complaints concerning Van Meijeren’s speech are filed with various departments of the Public Prosecution Service and the police. A total of 16 reports of incitement and one additional report in response to Van Meijeren’s statements are received.

The Attorney General (whose name has not been publicly disclosed) decides not to process the complaints personally because the complainants were not legally recognized as victims, as there was no direct harm involved. Nevertheless, in April 2023, the Public Prosecution Service decides, based on publicly available sources, to initiate a criminal investigation into Van Meijeren, which begins on May 1, 2023.

Similarly, as stated earlier, several of the following dates and events in the month of July are included in an official report of findings on the theme of “social events related to the farmers’ forum.” The report is drawn up, closed, and signed by an officer of the National Criminal Investigation Department on November 2, 2023.

Note: While there are varying perspectives on the tone of the farmers’ protests and demonstrations, the events included below are presented as they appear in the evidentiary and court documents.

July 13, 2022: Protests involving a procession of tractors take place in Nijmegen and Almelo.

July 14, 2022: Farmers and/or those sympathetic to the cause demonstrate at a registration center for asylum seekers in Ter Apel.

July 15, 2022: Protests occur on highways, causing traffic jams as well as in distribution centers in Raalte.

July 17, 2022: Farmers’ supporters block the A7 motorway at the border crossing to Germany. The protest then moves to Winschoten, and a roundabout is blocked.

July 22, 2022: Farmers protest during the Nijmegen Four Days Marches.

Additional context: The Nijmeegse Vierdaagse is an annual four-day walking event in Nijmegen, Netherlands, where thousands of participants from around the world walk long distances through the region, combining sport, culture, and festive celebrations. Weeks prior to the (very well-known) Nijmegen Four Days Marches, the media report that farmers will ruin the event. However, when the event takes place, many of the farmers’ actions consist of distributing free fresh milk, cheese, and fruit to the participants during their walks.

July 23, 2022: The group Nederland in Verzet (The Netherlands in Resistance) organizes a demonstration on Dam Square in Amsterdam to show support for the farmers.

July 27, 2022: Protests escalate with several highways being blocked. Waste material is thrown in several areas.

July 28, 2022: Protests continue with various highways being blocked again. Waste is dumped on the on and off ramps of the A18.

July 29, 2022: Hay bales are set on fire and trash is left behind on several locations on the highways. Near Winschoten and Varsseveld, the highway is blocked. In response to the protests, Rijkswaterstaat (the Department of Transportation) files a report.

August 21, 2022: Van Meijeren appears on a broadcast with Frank Stadermann of Cafe Weltschermz, in which he reflects on his statements from July 2, 2022. The video is titled, “Interview Café Weltschmerz: ‘Are democratically enacted laws always legitimate?’”

This interview is one of several open sources retrieved and reviewed by investigators. This interview is included in the official report of findings on the “narrative” and “expert authority” themes.

August 26, 2022: Van Meijeren appears on a broadcast with Frank Stadermann of Cafe Weltschmerz titled, “Treason?” The two discuss the right to resist unlawful legislation and whether cabinet members may be guilty of treason (Article 97a of the Dutch Criminal Code) due to their cooperation with the World Economic Forum (WEF).

This interview is included in the official reports of findings on the “narrative,” “expert authority,” and “World Economic Forum” themes.

August 28, 2022: Van Meijeren’s interview with Cafe Weltschmerz (“Treason?”), originally published on their website on August 26, 2022, is also published on Forum for Democracy’s YouTube channel with the title, “The Netherlands is being sold to the World Economic Forum.”

October 10, 2022: Van Meijeren records an interview in The Hague with Steven Arrazola de Oñate for the Belgian podcast Compleetdenkers in which he makes statements that become the subject of a second criminal charge (Fact 2) under Article 131(1) Criminal Code. In this interview, Van Meijeren expresses, among other things, his hope for a “revolutionary movement” that, figuratively speaking, would march to Parliament and remain there until the government steps down. He specifically refers to this as a “velvet revolution.”

October 20, 2022: A proposal to ban cash payments for goods costing more than €3,000 in the Netherlands is submitted.

November 13, 2022: Van Meijeren’s interview with Steven Arrazola de Oñate for the Belgian podcast Compleetdenkers is published on YouTube and released as a podcast on Spotify. On this date, the Public Prosecution Service decides to include this interview in its preliminary investigation.

This interview is included in the official reports of findings on the themes of “narrative,” “expert authority,” “World Economic Forum,” and “revolutionary movement.”

November 13, 2022: Van Meijeren re-posts a link to the interview on his X (then-Twitter) account.

At 8:20pm: The NOS publishes an article (covering Van Meijeren’s interview with Compleetdenkers) with the headline: “FVD MP Van Meijeren talks about occupying the House of Representatives.”

Additional context: Van Meijeren maintains that this headline is inaccurate. In his preliminary defense, he argues that he did not speak at all of “occupying” the House of Representatives. Rather, he stated that he hoped there would be a peaceful movement that, figuratively speaking, goes to Parliament and says, “We are not leaving here until the government is gone.” Additionally, the document notes that there is a distinction between occupying the House of Representatives, which is a criminal offense, and peacefully going to Parliament, which is not a criminal offense but rather a democratic right.

Several members of the cabinet and House of Representatives publicly comment on the interview following the initial publication in the NOS.

At 8:55pm: Sophie Hermans (parliamentary leader of VVD) posts “Yes, a caveat. Yes, a handy phrasing. But it is and remains very creepy crap that comes out of this man.”

At 9:09pm: Minister of Justice and Security Dilan Yesilgöz posts “Suggesting that people should march on parliament until the government is gone is unacceptable. Speculating about possible violence is extremely dangerous.”

Minister Yesilgöz immediately adds another post to this, stating: “Whether or not to take criminal action is a matter for the Public Prosecution Service, not for me as Minister of Justice and Security. It is, however, up to each of us to make our voices heard and thereby protect our democracy.”

At 9:19pm: Gert-Jan Segers (parliamentary leader of CU) posts a retweet of the X account @mmeeuw (the same account that is frequently cited by the Prosecution Service) with the comment: “With blood, sweat, and tears, we have built a civilization here in which minorities live peacefully together and democratically elected politicians work together. FvD member Gideon van Meijeren will not stop inciting until that civilization is trampled. ‘Hopefully without deaths.’ Chilling.”

It is worth noting that four open sources collected and analyzed by investigators were from this account.

At 9:34pm: Pieter Heerma (CDA) posts: “After the storming of the Capitol in Washington, these statements are abject and irresponsible. In a democracy, violence is never something you ‘hope for.’ This time calls for politicians who unite and moderate rather than incite and sow division.”

At 10:32pm: In a now deleted post, then-Prime Minister Rutte writes: “Today, a member of parliament speculated about disrupting our democratic process. That is reprehensible and totally irresponsible. The House of Representatives is the heart of our democracy, our most precious political asset.”

At 11:06pm: Then-Minister of Finance and Deputy PM Sigrid Kaag posts: “Despicable incitement in an already restless and unstable time. Deliberately wanting to destroy what has been carefully built up by generations: our democracy. This cannot be. This must not be. Do not stay silent. We are many.”

At 11:46pm: Volkskrant publishes an article titled, “Rutte calls speculation by FvD MP about occupying parliament ‘reprehensible.’”

November 14, 2022: Between 12:29am and 8:24am, there is an exchange between Van Meijeren and the NOS regarding the inaccuracies in the report. The NOS initially refuses to comply with a request from Van Meijeren to correct the inaccuracy in the article.

November 14, 2022: The Public Prosecution Service (OM) announces that the statements made in the Compleetdenkers interview will be assessed.

November 14, 2022: At 12:27pm, the NOS publishes a corrected article titled, “Statements by MP Van Meijeren lead to sharp condemnation, OM is reviewing them.” The amended article also incorporates social media posts from then-Prime Minster Rutte and other cabinet members and representatives. Additionally, the article includes the following editor’s note:

“An earlier version of this article stated that Van Meijeren had spoken about occupying parliament. He did not use the word ‘occupy.’ The text has been amended.”

Furthermore, in a highlighted box within the article, political reporter Lars Geerts states that Minister Yesilgöz, through her X response, effectively instructs the OM (the Public Prosecution Service) to pursue prosecution.

November 14, 2022: Professor of Constitutional and Administrative Law Wim Voermans and political reporter Thomas van Groningen discuss on the talk show Op1 the OM’s (the Public Prosecution Service’s) investigation into the possibility of prosecution.

November 14, 2022: In the NPO program Goedemorgen Nederland (Good Morning Netherlands), criminal defense lawyer Geert-Jan Knoops comments on Van Meijeren’s statements from the Compleetdenkers interview as well as the aftermath and reaction to it. According to the defense’s preliminary document, lawyer Geert-Jan Knoops relied heavily on the NOS report, which included factual inaccuracies.

November 15, 2022: Leiden University publishes an article featuring Professor of Constitutional and Administrative Law Wim Voermans’ appearance on the talk show Op1, where the incitement case is discussed.

November 15, 2022: The Dutch publication Friesch Dagblad releases an opinion piece titled, “Shocking language by FvD’s Van Meijeren should not be contested in court, but in the public debate.”

November 16, 2022: Friesch Dagblad publishes an article titled, “Forum for Democracy goes off the rails. D66 calls for ban on parties that undermine the rule of law.”

November 17, 2022: During a debate in the House of Representatives, Van Meijeren confronts Minister Yesilgöz over her public statements on his interview as well as those of Minister Kaag, which suggest possible influence on the Public Prosecution Service (OM).

November 22, 2022: This date marks the end of the preliminary investigation into Van Meijeren by the Public Prosecution Service. Since the start of the investigation on July 12, 2022, there have been 16 complaints of incitement and one report filed with various departments of the Public Prosecution Service and the police across the country regarding statements made by Van Meijeren.

End of December 2022: The Public Prosecution Service (OM) submits the open sources and complaints to the Attorney General at the Supreme Court.

Note: (From the official report) “As there is no direct damage or detriment within the meaning of Article 51a of the Dutch Code of Criminal Procedure, the complainants in this case are not considered victims. Furthermore, the complaints contain no information other than references to public statements by the suspect, Van Meijeren, which are already included in the case file. Therefore, the complaints have not been added to the case file.”

2023

Beginning of April 2023: After reviewing the open sources and complaints submitted by the Public Prosecution Service at the end of December 2022, the Attorney General informs the Chief Public Prosecutor of the District Public Prosecutor’s Office in The Hague and the Board of Attorney Generals of the Public Prosecution Service (OM) that he sees no reason to handle the complaints himself in accordance with the Protocol.

Note: The “Protocol” being referred to is the “protocol for the prosecution of politicians.” It is a formal framework that outlines how the Public Prosecution Service (OM) handles potential criminal offenses committed by (current or former) politicians. Its purpose is to ensure independence, legal certainty, and political stability, so that prosecution is not influenced by political pressure or arbitrariness.

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) decides, therefore, to initiate a criminal investigation.

April 2, 2023: Van Meijeren obtains Ms. Boriana Petkova as his legal counsel.

April 17, 2023: The General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) releases its annual report for the year 2022, which includes a section on “anti-institutional extremism.”

May 1, 2023: The National Criminal Investigation Department (Rijksrecherche) officially opens the criminal investigation into Van Meijeren. The investigation is named “Eppelheim” and is led by Public Prosecutor Wieger Veldhuis.

According to the case file, for the purposes of this official investigation, the Public Prosecution Service provides the National Criminal Investigation Department’s team with the 15 open sources retrieved from the preliminary investigation. (The open sources referenced here are recordings of speeches and interviews given by Van Meijeren as well as an X post that were and are still—at this time—considered relevant to the statements that are the subject of the criminal charges). It is important to note that some statements have several corresponding open sources.

Public Prosecutor Wieger Veldhuis draws up a report documenting those 15 open sources gathered during the preliminary investigation into an Official Report of Findings of Open Sources on June 15, 2023. The document is then forwarded to the National Criminal Investigation Department.

Investigators with the National Criminal Investigation Department find at least six additional open sources, which were not initially included in the June 15, 2023 document. Therefore, a total of at least 21 open sources related to the statements subject to the criminal charges are analyzed during the official “Eppelheim” investigation.

Following the investigation into each of the open sources, official reports of findings are drawn up by theme, including “narrative,” “expert authority,” “World Economic Forum,” “social events related to the farmers’ forum,” and “revolutionary movement.” Several open sources are given a separate official findings report document and some are also evaluated based on the reactions.

Furthermore, all X posts from @GideonvMeijeren between January 1, 2022, and July 31, 2023, are also examined.

May 2, 2023: Van Meijeren appears on a broadcast of Ongehoord Nieuws (ON) in an episode titled, “Who poses a threat to the rule of law?” During the episode, Van Meijeren reiterates his criticism of the functioning of the rule of law. This media appearance is documented and analyzed by the National Criminal Investigation Department. (It was not originally included in the Official Report of Open Sources document dated June 15, 2023.)

This event is included in the official report of findings on the theme of “expert authority.”

May 5, 2023: Van Meijeren delivers a speech at the “10th anniversary of Cafe Weltschmerz.” During this speech, Van Meijeren discusses, among other things, the moral duty to disobey unjust laws. This media appearance is documented and analyzed by the National Criminal Investigation Department. (It was not originally included in the Official Report of Open Sources document dated June 15, 2023.)

The open source cited is a YouTube video titled, “Speech Gideon” (source 18) published by the YouTube channel “Team Gratie Gods waakzaam en dienstbaar,” which in English translates to “Team Grace of God vigilant and helpful.” (This open source was not originally included during the preliminary investigation in the Official Report of Open Sources document dated June 15, 2023.)

May 15, 2023: The Public Prosecution Service (OM) sends a letter to Van Meijeren’s home address to officially inform him of the criminal investigation against him in which he has been designated as a suspect for incitement.

May 23, 2023: An officer with the National Criminal Investigation Department contacts Van Meijeren by email to invite him to an advisory interview. Van Meijeren does not respond.

May 25, 2023: Another officer with the National Criminal Investigation Department contacts Van Meijeren by phone. Van Meijeren indicates that he did not yet receive the letter from the Public Prosecution Service sent on May 15, 2023. The officer then explains to Van Meijeren the contents of the letter. The two schedule an appointment for a suspect interview on June 19, 2023. The appointment is then confirmed by the officer to Van Meijeren by email.

June 2, 2023: Van Meijeren’s interview with Cafe Weltschmerz titled, “Gideon harassed by civil servant during New Year’s reception in the House of Representatives (Police do NOTHING!)” is published. This interview is documented and analyzed by the National Criminal Investigation Department. (It was not originally included in the Official Report of Open Sources document dated June 15, 2023.)

This interview is included in the official report of findings on the theme of “expert authority.”

June 14, 2023: A National Criminal Investigation Department officer contacts Van Meijeren by phone to ask if he will be represented by a lawyer during the planned interview scheduled for June 19, 2023. Van Meijeren responds that he will not, and that he is considering canceling the appointment. He indicates that the accusation against him is phrased very generally.

June 15, 2023: Public Prosecutor Veldhuis contacts Van Meijeren by phone to follow-up on a previous discussion between Van Meijeren and one of the investigating officers. During the conversation with Public Prosecutor Veldhuis, Van Meijeren confirms that he will not attend the suspect interview. Van Meijeren states that he has lost confidence in the Public Prosecution Service (OM) and that there are indications of class-based justice. He shares that he will present his perspective to the judge.

June 15, 2023: Public Prosecutor Veldhuis draws up and signs the official open sources report to formally transfer the (15) relevant open sources (primarily tweets and videos featuring Van Meijeren) from the preliminary investigation to the Rijksrecherche or the National Criminal Investigation Division.

Note: At this time, the date of Van Meijeren’s interview scheduled for June 19, 2023, had already been set prior to the filing of this open source report. There was already telephone contact on June 14 and on the morning of June 15 regarding this upcoming interview. Additionally, Van Meijeren had been informed by letter on May 15 of the investigation. This open sources report filed June 15 was, therefore, a necessary administrative step to formally complete the file before the interview took place.

June 19, 2023: Van Meijeren ultimately decides not to attend the scheduled suspect interview.

July 24, 2023: The official report of findings on the “narrative” theme is drafted, closed, and signed on this date by a reporting officer of the National Criminal Investigation Department.

The open sources analyzed in this document include the Westerpark Amsterdam speech from January 2, 2022, the Lichtenvoorde speech from June 25, 2022, the Tuil speech at the farmers’ forum from July 2, 2022, an X post by Van Meijeren from July 12, 2022, a Cafe Weltschmerz interview from August 21, 2022, a Cafe Weltschmerz interview from August 26, 2022, and the Compleetdenkers interview from November 13, 2022.

July 24, 2023: The official report of findings on the “World Economic Forum” theme is drafted, closed, and signed on this date by a reporting officer of the National Criminal Investigation Department.

The open sources analyzed in this document include the Westerpark Amsterdam speech from January 2, 2022, the Lichtenvoorde speech from June 25, 2022, the Tuil speech at the farmers’ forum from July 2, 2022, a Cafe Weltschmerz interview from August 26, 2022, and the Compleetdenkers interview from November 13, 2022.

July 31, 2023: The investigation of Van Meijeren’s X account is completed (examining posts between January 1, 2022, and July 31, 2023).

September 12, 2023: Public Prosecutor Veldhuis contacts Van Meijeren by phone to inform him that the Public Prosecution Service (OM) will proceed with prosecution on two charges of incitement. He offers Van Meijeren the opportunity to obtain a USB stick containing videos of the public statements from the case file in which he may also add his own documents. Van Meijeren indicates that it is not necessary. Van Meijeren also declines a new invitation for a suspect interview.

According to the prosecution, the decision to proceed with charges is based on several factors, including Van Meijeren’s persistence in his statements.

September 12, 2023: The official X account for the OM Den Haag posts the following on X:

“A 35-year-old politician from The Hague is being prosecuted for inciting violence against the government. The press prosecutor explains why.” (The post includes a 48-second video of the press prosecutor.)

The following includes a series of media reports published on September 12, 2023, covering the announcement of charges against Gideon van Meijeren:

• NOS publishes an article at 1:07pm: “OM prosecutes Member of Parliament Gideon van Meijeren (FvD) for incitement.”
• Het Parool publishes an article at 1:17pm: “FvD’s Gideon van Meijeren prosecuted for incitement to violence against the government.”
• Telegraaf publishes an article: “OM prosecutes FvD’s Gideon van Meijeren for incitement.”
• Telegraaf publishes a video report, including an interview with court reporter Saskia Belleman at 4:20pm: “FvD’s Van Meijeren prosecuted: ‘Even then, it is punishable.’”

September 14, 2023: Public Prosecutor Veldhuis draws up and signs an official report of findings regarding the first phone conversation with Van Meijeren that occurred at 9am on June 15, 2023, in which they discussed the interview and substance of the case.

September 14, 2023: Public Prosecutor Veldhuis draws up and signs an official report of findings regarding the second phone conversation with Van Meijeren that occurred on September 12, 2023, in which Prosecutor Veldhuis informs Van Meijeren of the decision to prosecute.

September 20, 2023: The official report of findings regarding Van Meijeren’s speech on January 2, 2022, in Westerpark in Amsterdam (sources 1-4 and 20) is drawn up, signed, and closed by two officers of the National Criminal Investigation Department.

September 20, 2023: The official report of findings regarding Van Meijeren’s speech on June 25, 2022, in Lichtenvoorde (sources 5, 15, and 21) is drawn up, signed, and closed by two officers of the National Criminal Investigation Department.

September 20, 2023: The official report of findings regarding Van Meijeren’s August 21, 2022, interview with Cafe Weltschmerz, titled, “Are democratically enacted laws always legitimate? – Frank Stadermann and Gideon van Meijeren” (source 11), is drawn up, signed, and closed by two officers of the National Criminal Investigation Department.

September 20, 2023: The official report of findings regarding Van Meijeren’s interview with Cafe Weltschmerz, titled “Treason?” of August 28, 2022 (sources 12 and 13), is drawn up, signed, and closed by two officers of the National Criminal Investigation Department.

September 20, 2023: The official report of findings regarding Van Meijeren’s Compleetdenkers interview of November 13, 2022 (source 14) is drawn up, signed, and closed by two officers of the National Criminal Investigation Department.

September 20, 2023: The official report of findings regarding Van Meijeren’s Cafe Weltschmerz interview of June 2, 2023, titled “Gideon attacked by civil servant during New Year’s reception in the House of Representatives (Police do NOTHING!)” (source 19), is drawn up, signed, and closed by two officers of the National Criminal Investigation Department.

September 20, 2023: The officer draws up and signs the official report of their phone call with Van Meijeren which took place on June 14, 2023, at around 3:05pm, regarding the interview scheduled on June 19, 2023.

October 10, 2023: The official report of findings regarding an X post from the X account @mmeeuw (source 6) is drawn up, signed, and closed by two officers of the National Criminal Investigation Department.

The post includes a video compilation of an individual, presumably Max van den Berg, as well as part of Van Meijeren’s speech on January 2, 2022, in Westerpark in Amsterdam.

October 10, 2023: The official report of findings on the “revolutionary movement” theme is drafted, closed, and signed on this date by an officer of the National Criminal Investigation Department.

The open sources analyzed in this document include the Tuil speech at the farmers’ forum from July 2, 2022, and an X post by Van Meijeren from November 14, 2022.

October 10, 2023: The official report of findings regarding Van Meijeren’s speech on July 2, 2022, at the farmers’ forum in Tuil (sources 7-9) is drawn up, signed, and closed by two officers of the National Criminal Investigation Department.

October 10, 2023: The official report of findings regarding the reactions to the YouTube video, “This is why they want to get rid of the farmers! Van Meijeren on the farmers’ protest | FVD” (source 8), which is from Van Meijeren’s speech on July 2, 2022, at the farmers’ forum in Tuil, is drawn up, signed, and closed by an officer of the National Criminal Investigation Department.

The officer downloaded 1,299 responses to the YouTube video on August 25, 2023. The official report contains responses selected by the public prosecutor.

October 10, 2023: The official report of findings regarding the reactions to the YouTube video, “We can stop the nitrogen policy! Van Meijeren on farmers’ protests” (source 9), which is from Van Meijeren’s second speech on July 2, 2022, at the farmers’ forum in Tuil, is drawn up, signed, and closed by an officer of the National Criminal Investigation Department.

The officer downloaded 1,036 responses to the YouTube video on August 25, 2023. The official report contains selected responses chosen by the public prosecutor.

October 10, 2023: The official report of findings regarding Van Meijeren’s X post of July 12, 2022 (source 10) is drawn up, signed, and closed by two officers of the National Criminal Investigation Department.

October 10, 2023: The official report of findings regarding the reactions to the YouTube video “Are democratically enacted laws always legitimate? – Frank Stadermann and Gideon van Meijeren” (source 11), which is Van Meijeren’s interview with Cafe Weltschmerz on August 21, 2022, is drawn up, closed, and signed by an officer of the National Criminal Investigation Department.

The officer downloaded 194 responses to the YouTube video on September 13, 2023. The official report contains selected responses chosen by the public prosecutor.

October 10, 2023: The official report of findings regarding the reactions to the YouTube video “Treason?” (source 12), which is Van Meijeren’s interview with Cafe Weltschmerz on August 26, 2022, is drawn up and closed by an officer of the National Criminal Investigation Department.

The officer downloaded 247 responses to the YouTube video on August 30, 2023. The official report contains selected responses chosen by the public prosecutor.

October 10, 2023: The official report of findings regarding the YouTube video “The Netherlands is being sold to the World Economic Forum” (source 13), which is Van Meijeren’s interview with Cafe Weltschmerz published by the FVD YouTube channel on August 28, 2022, is drawn up, closed, and signed by an officer of the National Criminal Investigation Department.

The officer downloaded 1,707 responses to the YouTube video on September 15, 2023. The official report contains selected responses chosen by the public prosecutor. (Also references source 12, which is the same interview but under a different title, published by Cafe Weltschmerz on August 26, 2022.)

October 10, 2023: The official report of findings regarding the reactions to the YouTube video “Compleetdenkers Episode 26 #Gideon van Meijeren” (source 14), which is Van Meijeren’s interview with Compleetdenkers published on November 13, 2022, is drawn up, closed, and signed by an officer of the National Criminal Investigation Department.

The officer downloaded 883 responses to the YouTube video on August 29, 2023. The official report contains selected responses chosen by the public prosecutor.

October 10, 2023: The official report of findings regarding Van Meijeren’s speech on May 5, 2023 (source 18) is drawn up, signed, and closed by two officers of the National Criminal Investigation Department.

October 30, 2023: The official report of findings on the “expert authority” theme is drafted and closed on this date by a reporting officer of the National Criminal Investigation Department.

The open sources analyzed in this document include the Compleetdenkers interview from November 13, 2022, the Lichtenvoorde speech from June 25, 2022, the Tuil speech at the farmers’ forum from July 2, 2022, a Cafe Weltschmerz interview from August 21, 2022, a Cafe Weltschmerz interview from August 26, 2022, an ON broadcast from May 2, 2023, and a Cafe Weltschmerz interview from June 2, 2023.

November 1, 2023: The downloaded open sources transfer report is drawn up and signed on this date by an officer of the National Criminal Investigation Department. The report includes additional details, screenshots, and links of the open sources transferred by the Public Prosecutor on June 15, 2023. Additionally, the reporting officer of the National Criminal Investigation Department makes note that he included several additional sources that were not included in the original June 15, 2023, report.

November 1, 2023: The official report of findings regarding Van Meijeren’s appearance on Ongehoord Nieuws on May 2, 2023 (source 17) is drawn up, signed, and closed by two officers of the National Criminal Investigation Department.

An excerpt from this broadcast was posted on the YouTube channel of Ongehoord Nederland, titled, “Who are a threat to the rule of law? Ongehoord Nieuws” on May 3, 2023.

November 2, 2023: The official report of findings on the “social events regarding the farmers’ forum” theme is drafted, closed, and signed on this date by a reporting officer of the National Criminal Investigation Department.

The open sources analyzed in this document include an X post by Van Meijeren from June 29, 2022 (at 2:39pm), the Tuil speech at the farmers’ forum from July 2, 2022, and several protest-related events in June and July 2022.

November 2, 2023: The official report of findings on Van Meijeren’s X account (@GideonvMeijeren) is drafted, closed, and signed on this date by two officers of the National Criminal Investigation Department.

The entire timeline of Van Meijeren’s X account from January 1, 2022, to July 31, 2023, was reviewed by an officer and an analyst. According to the report, each individual X post from that time period was screenshot and included in the “Eppelheim” investigation.

November 3, 2023: The “Eppelheim” case file is signed and closed.

November 16, 2023: Van Meijeren goes live on Instagram to discuss the upcoming hearing and answers viewers’ questions.

November 22, 2023: Gideon van Meijeren is re-elected as a Member of the House of Representatives.

November 23, 2023: Public Prosecutor Wieger Veldhuis appears in an interview published by the Wayamo Foundation. The description of the interview reads as follows:

“Mr. Veldhuis speaks about the Netherlands’ pursuit of universal jurisdiction cases arising from Syria and Iraq, shedding light on the circumstances that gave rise to these cases, as well as their scope. Additionally, Mr. Veldhuis examines the varied types of evidence that Dutch prosecutors have utilised to bring these cases before the courts. He also discusses how Dutch courts have treated open source information as a form of evidence in these proceedings. Lastly, Mr. Veldhuis explores the broader question of whether the exercise of universal jurisdiction is witnessing an upward trend in recent times.”

December 1, 2023: The Public Prosecution Service issues an indictment against Van Meijeren in which he is summoned to appear before a multi-judge criminal chamber court in The Hague on December 20, 2023.

December 20, 2023: A case management hearing at the District Court in The Hague commences at 11:00am.

December 20, 2023: Telegraaf publishes an article covering the case management hearing, titled: “Gideon van Meijeren invokes: ‘Necessity caused by a state of emergency.’”

2024

April 8, 2024: The Political Parties Act is submitted to the Council of State for advice. In other words, Dutch law seeks to ban political parties that threaten democracy.

April 15, 2024: Van Meijeren’s criminal record is reviewed. He has no prior relevant convictions.

May 28, 2024: A substantive hearing takes place at The Hague before a multi-judge chamber of the District Court.

At the conclusion of the proceeding, the presiding judge states that the court will carefully consider the case and deliver its verdict in two weeks on June 11, 2024, at 1pm.

June 6, 2024: The 2024 European Parliament elections are held in the Netherlands.

June 11, 2024: The judgment of the District Court is issued. Van Meijeren is convicted of incitement on both counts. The court rules that his statements, despite the peaceful context, were intended to prepare the minds of the public to commit violence against the government. He is sentenced to 200 hours of community service or 100 days of imprisonment.

June 13, 2024: Public Prosecutor Wieger Veldhuis is promoted and appointed as Advocate General of the International Crimes Department of the Public Prosecution Service (CTER).

June 21, 2024: Attorney Boriana Petkova, defense lawyer representing Van Meijeren, issues a notice of appeal against the June 11 judgment.

July 4, 2024: In accordance with Article 410 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, Attorney Boriana Petkova submits the defense’s statement of grounds of appeal to The Hague District Court.

September 24, 2024: The bill to ban cash payments for goods costing more than €3,000 (submitted on October 20, 2022) passes in the House of Representatives.

2025

March 31, 2025: The court’s request to provide a livestream of the case management hearing is denied.

April 8, 2025: A case management hearing takes place.

During the hearing, the case is not addressed on its merits; only the defense’s investigative requests are discussed. Van Meijeren and his lawyer request that the court hear three experts (primarily legal philosophers) to support a defense based on a state of necessity, arguing that Van Meijeren acted out of a societal emergency and only called for peaceful resistance. The defense requests that the substantive hearing take place during two days.

The Public Prosecution Service advises the court to reject the experts, stating that the question of whether a state of necessity exists is a legal matter the court can assess independently.

The court rejects the request to hear the experts but grants the request to hear the appeal during a two-day period. The appeal hearing is then expected to take place at the end of 2025 or the first quarter of 2026. Additionally, it is agreed that there will be further contact regarding the completion of the file with video material presented in the first instance.

June 1, 2025: Revised Press Guidelines enter into force, introducing an accreditation policy whereby only journalists pre-approved by the judiciary may continue to use the facilities provided for journalists.

June 10, 2025: The bill to ban cash payments for goods costing more than €3,000 (submitted on October 20, 2022) passes in the Senate.

2026

January 1, 2026: The bill to ban cash payments for goods costing more than €3,000 goes into effect.

January 28, 2026: The first day of Van Meijeren’s appeal hearing is held at the Hague Court of Appeal.

January 29, 2026: The second day of Van Meijeren’s appeal hearing is held at the Hague Court of Appeal.

March 5, 2026: A judgment on the appeal hearing is scheduled to be delivered at 1pm at the Hague Court of Appeal.