From 25 September 2017 through 4 October 2017, a total of 11 retired marines were examined as witnesses by the District Court of The Hague, regarding the violent ending of the Moluccan train hijacking near De Punt (Drenthe, the Netherlands) on 11 June 1977. The case concerns the death of two of the South-Moluccan hijackers, Hansina Uktolseja and Max Papilaja. Their surviving relatives say the two were executed and hold the Dutch State liable. The surviving relatives had requested that the retired marines be called as witnesses.

The surviving relatives are represented by lawyers Liesbeth Zegveld and Brechtje Vossenberg.

Background

On 23 May 1977 a group of South-Moluccan youth hijacked a train in the Dutch province of Drenthe. On 11 June 1977 the hijacking was ended by use of force. The train was first fired upon by long-range shooters over the course of several minutes, after which five Attack Groups entered the train in order to secure it. The retired marines that have now been heard as witnesses were part of Attack Groups 2 and 5, who subsequently shot and killed hijackers Hansina Uktolseja and Max Papilaja.

See further (in Dutch)

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Prakken d'Oliveira, formerly known as Böhler, is a law firm with expertise and experience in asylum and immigration law, European law, administrative law, international criminal law and human rights. Our lawyers provide advice and conduct procedures before the Dutch Immigration and Naturalization Service (IND), the Dutch Review Committee on the Intelligence and Security Services (CTIVD), the District- and Appeals courts, the Administrative Law Division of the Dutch Council of State, the Supreme Court of the Netherlands, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the Court of Justice of the European Union (ECJ), the Human Rights Treaty Bodies of the United Nations (UN), the International Criminal Court (ICC), and other international tribunals.