Today, the Council of State ruled that the appeals filed by the Dutch immigration authorities (IND) and the Congolese witnesses at the International Criminal Court (ICC), are both unfounded. The decision by the district court of Amsterdam has been upheld, whilst the reasons underpinning that decision have been amended. This marks the end of the national asylum-procedure. The European Court of Human Rights will now be asked to assess whether a real risk of inhuman treatment in case of forced deportation to Congo can be excluded.
The Congolese witnesses are represented by lawyers Flip Schüller, Göran Sluiter and Marieke van Eik.
Read the press release here.
Annexes
Previously:
- ICC rules that witnesses have the right to seek asylum in the Netherlands
- Amicus Curiae re asylum procedure for witnesses before the International Criminal Court
- ICC-witnesses can seek asylum in the Netherlands
- Summary proceedings against the Dutch State concerning unlawful detention of Congolese men by the ICC
- Judge orders the Netherlands to accept transfer of Congolese ICC-Witnesses
- ICC witnesses win Dutch asylum appeal
- Detention of Congolese witnesses terminated by the ICC, ball in court of the Netherlands
- Göran Sluiter: "The fate of the three Congolese witnesses in ICC detention has reached the level of absurdity"