Minister called to explain refusal to protect Charlie Hebdo survivor

GroenLinks parliamentarian Kathalijne Buitenweg called on Minister Kasja Ollongren of Home Affairs to explain why French Islam critic Zineb El Rhazoui was refused protection for her talk in De Balie in Amsterdam on Thursday, RTL Nieuws reports.

El Rhazoui worked at satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo when a terrorist attack on the magazine killed twelve people in 2015. Since then she's been the target of numerous death threats, and is therefore under intense security in her own country.

On Thursday she gave a talk in De Balie. The Netherlands refused to give French security guards permission to carry weapons, and she also received no security from the Dutch services, De Balie director Youri Albrecht said to the Telegraaf. De Balie eventually hired a private security company to provide protection.

"The Netherlands must stand firmly in favor of freedom of expression. If people are threatened, they deserve protection. It is unacceptable if free debate is put under pressure", parliamentarian Buitenweg said, according to RTL. She wants Minister Ollongren to explain how the decision was made not to give El Rhazoui extra security.