Court: No additional investigation into assault over Taghi's arrest in Dubai

The District Court of Amsterdam said it could not find a reason to order an additional investigation into the way in which suspected organized crime boss Ridouan Taghi was brought to the Netherlands after his arrest in Dubai at the end of 2019. Taghi suffered several injuries following the arrest, including a broken nose, and he had two swollen eyes.

Authorities in Dubai recently announced that Taghi, 46, was not injured when he left the country. That answer was noteworthy, because upon arrival in the Netherlands, Taghi had visible injuries to his face. The Public Prosecution Service in the Netherlands (OM) later also acknowledged that a doctor in the Netherlands had diagnosed the injuries.

Taghi is currently on trial in a sprawling criminal case known as the Marengo procedure. He is the main suspect in the case, which involves multiple assassinations, attempted murders, and plots to commit murder.

Taghi's lawyers, who resigned from his defense earlier this month, had informed the court that they wanted clarification about this. This was before they stepped down. The court issued its ruling on Wednesday that it saw no reason to rule in Taghi's favor because he himself "extensively stated" that the injury occurred during his arrest and detention in Dubai. The court said it was therefore unnecessary to again ask for more information about this.

Inez Weski, Taghi's first lawyer, had already requested information about the arrest in May 2021. More than two years later, the answers arrived from Dubai.

Weski was arrested earlier this year and was therefore forced to resign as his attorney. Taghi was then given three new lawyers, who also resigned from the defense earlier this month, saying the court was not giving them ample time to mount a defense. Taghi has indicated that he no longer wants new attorneys.

Before Weski's arrest, prosecutors called for Taghi's conviction, and said a life sentence was appropriate considering the extensive case file. The court plans to issue a ruling at the end of February.