A court of first instance in Brussels rejected the request of a Dutchman for the temporary removal of Mark Rutte from the post of Secretary General of NATO, the Belgian news agency Belga reported.
Karim Aahboon, a Dutch tax expert and legal adviser, wanted Rutte removed because two civil cases were filed against the former Dutch prime minister.
Mark Rutte was elected as the new Secretary General of NATO on 26 June. Aahbun previously filed a lawsuit against Rutte in the Netherlands. The tax expert is holding the former prime minister accountable for the Dutch child benefit scandal and the death of a Dutch woman in the Gaza Strip in October 2023.
The Dutch child benefit scandal involved false accusations of child benefit fraud against around 26,000 parents in the Netherlands between 2005 and 2019. Aahboon accused Rutte of complicity in the death of the Dutch woman in Gaza because the Netherlands supplied Israel with parts for the F-35 fighter jets used to bomb the area.
Aahboon argued that he may not be able to win a ruling in his favor against Rutte because the former Dutch prime minister could invoke his immunity as NATO secretary general and transfer all his assets to Belgium. Therefore, he asked the court in Brussels to stop the appointment of Rutte as the head of NATO until a decision is made on the Dutch case, notes BTA.
The court declared it lacked jurisdiction over Aahbun’s claims against NATO, a court spokeswoman said. The Dutchman’s claims against Rutte were declared “admissible but unfounded”.
Aahbun said the court ruled that Rutte’s right to immunity and the risk of damage to his reputation outweighed his right to a fair trial against Rutte, adding that he was appealing the decision.
