Top defense attorney Inez Weski will remain in jail for 30 more days

The pre-trial detention period for criminal defense attorney Inez Weski was extended by 30 days, the court in Rotterdam decided on Thursday. The 68-year-old Rotterdam woman was arrested on April 21 on suspicion of participating in an organized crime operation that is involved in international drug trafficking and money laundering. She is also suspected of violating rules related to secret information.

Weski was the primary attorney representing Ridouan Taghi, the alleged organized crime lord and main suspect in the Marengo criminal proceedings. The trial revolves around several street-level assassinations, several others failed murder attempts, and the planning of other vicious attacks.

Weski is currently in restricted custody, meaning she is only allowed to have contact with her attorney. The conditions also mean that neither her attorney nor the prosecution can provide further information about the case at this time.

Her pre-trial detention could have been extended by a maximum of 90 days. It is uncertain whether her jailing will be extended further. After a 90-day detention, a hearing must be held in open court.

Weski represented Taghi but withdrew from his defense following her arrest. She is accused of sharing information between the outside world and her former client, who is also in restricted custody, and is being held in the country's most secure prison in Vught. It is not yet known how Weski's arrest will affect the Marengo proceedings, which were nearly at its conclusion when Weski was apprehended.

Last September, during a hearing in the case against Youssef T, Taghi's former lawyer and cousin, T.'s attorney suggested that Weski had served as a communication conduit for Taghi. In response, the prosecution said that initial investigations indicated that Weski was suspected of being approached by Taghi's relatives for communication purposes, but not of being directly involved.

Weski was outraged by these allegations and vehemently denied them. She called the accusation "incorrect, unfairly suggestive, and highly reprehensible." In January 2023, Youssef T. was sentenced to 5.5 years in prison.