Coalition of Dutch citizens and organizations oppose use of NSA data by Dutch intelligence services

Amsterdam, November 6th 2013 – Today a coalition of citizens and organizations initiates legal proceedings against the Dutch State, represented by Ronald Plasterk, Minister of the Interior. They demand that the Dutch State stops using data that has not been obtained in accordance with Dutch law.

Plasterk condemns the spying and eavesdropping of the NSA, but he acknowledges that data between the Dutch intelligence service, AIVD, and the American NSA is being exchanged. In this manner, the Dutch State obtains data that has illegally been collected by the NSA. The coalition of The Dutch against Plasterk opposes this. Furthermore, the coalition demands that the State informs the citizens whose illegally obtained data have been used.

Coalition of The Dutch against Plasterk

The attorneys from bureau Brandeis have filed the lawsuit for the coalition of citizens and organizations. Founder Christiaan Alberdingk Thijm: “By using data that has been illegally acquired through the NSA, they are ‘laundered’ by Plasterk and his secret services. This case should put an end to that unlawful conduct.”

The participating citizens are: Rop Gonggrijp, Jeroen van Beek, Bart Nooitgedagt, Brenno de Winter and Mathieu Paapst. The partaking organizations are: the Dutch Association of Defense Counsels, the Dutch Association of Journalists, the Internet Society Netherlands Chapter and Privacy First Foundation.

Jeroen van Beek: “It seems that the Netherlands ‘shopped around’ at foreign governments for data it cannot acquire here legally. Nobody seems to be accountable for or is transparent about what exactly happens in the Netherlands. The court must critically examine this.”

About bureau Brandeis

bureau Brandeis is a law firm specialized in complex litigation and cases concerning privacy violations. It has a preference to cases that create benefits to society as a whole. bureau Brandeis was founded in 2013 by internet attorney Christiaan Alberdingk Thijm.

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For journalists
For questions, please contact Christiaan Alberdingk Thijm (+31 (0)6 2501 7235, christiaan@bureaubrandeis.com) or bureau Brandeis (+31 (0)20 – 760 6505).
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