Dutch government wants to take faster action against terrorist groups

The Dutch government is exploring ways to ban terrorist organizations more quickly, Minister of Justice and Security David van Weel said in a letter to the Tweede Kamer.

The move comes amid calls to restrict groups such as Samidoun and the Eritrean Brigade Nhamedu, alongside far-right organizations involved in last year’s riots in The Hague.

Currently, the decision to ban a group lies with the courts, following a request from the Public Prosecution Service (OM). Van Weel said the government wants to act “at the earliest possible stage in a normative and effective way” when dealing with potentially terrorist organizations.

The Tweede Kamer has asked the government to prohibit groups it considers a threat, but Van Weel noted that intelligence agencies like the AIVD and the OM do not yet have sufficient information to issue a ban. He will investigate whether the cabinet could take quicker action independently, similar to a system used in France.