Militant Islam Monitor > Articles > Emerson Vermaat: Letter to Dutch paper citing terrorist lawyers warnings to judges to heed the 'vox populi' and acquit Hofstadgroep members
Emerson Vermaat: Letter to Dutch paper citing terrorist lawyers warnings to judges to heed the 'vox populi' and acquit Hofstadgroep members
November 17, 2006
October 4, 2006
The cover of Emerson Vermaat's new book "Jihad in The Netherlands"
MIM: Below is a translation of the letter which counter terrorism expert Emerson Vermaat wrote to the NRC Handelsblad one of the leading Dutch newspapers, in which he reports that the lawyers for Samir Azzouz, the head of the Hofstadgroep, (the group whose former leader, Mohammed Bouyeri, slaughtered filmmaker Theo van Gogh) took the unprecedented step of warning the judges to heed the 'vox populi' from the spectators gallery. The paper refused to publish the letter.
Lawyer Viktor Koppe asserted to the judges that the friends and supporters of defendent Samir Azzouz 'agreed' with him - implying that they constituted a proxy jury.
The cover of Emerson Vermaats new book "Jihad in the Netherlands" the Hofstadgroep trial
Letter to the Editor (headline:{Trial Samir Azzouz):
The 'NRC Handelsblad' on November 10th, the article 'Spirit of the times the motor behind the trial of Samir Azzouz' cited the lawyer Britta Bohler. She warned the judges for the vox populi, if the court didnt acquit the defendants in this case.
I myself observed the trial and heard Bohler's office colleague Victor Koppe declare during the one of the hearings that he had the impression that the people in the spectators gallery agreed with him. In their deposition both public prosecutors referred to Koppe's remarks.
Since 2002 I have been closely following all the important terrorism trials closely and this year I wrote a book about the Hofstadgroep trial (Nederlandse Jihad' publisher Aspekt 2006). I have never experienced that an lawyer at a sitting called attention to the 'vox populi' from the spectators gallery. In addition to journalists both friends and family of the suspects were sitting there, showing their support for the defendents.
Whenever something negative was said about the defendents in the courtroom the spectators in the spectators gallery made throat cutting gestures and I even heard someone say 'Cancer Jew'.
Before Mr.Bohler warns the judges about the 'vox populi' she should first speak to her colleague about how he pointed out to the judges in an unprecedented way what the people in the spectators gallery think about the proceedings.
Hilversum
Emerson Vermaat
Author of Jihad in The Netherlands-The trial of The Hofstadgroep
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MIM:The Dutch versions of William Kunstler and Lynn Stuart - Terrorist lawyer/supporters Victor Koppe and Brigitte Bohler.
According to them all the trials of the Hofstadgroep are motivated by anti Muslim sentiments and a their terrorist clients are being tried because of their religion.
De advocaten mr. Britta Bohler (r) en Victor Koppe (l) arriveren maandag bij de speciaal beveiligde rechtbank in Amsterdam-osdorp. Foto ANP http://www.eindhovensdagblad.nl/edbinnenland/article742874.ece
Ingezonden brief (kop: Proces Samir A.):
Proces Samir A.
In 'NRC Handelsblad' van 10 november 2006 wordt in het artikel 'Tijdgeest motor achter proces
Samir A.' de advocate Britta Böhler geciteerd. Zij waarschuwde de rechters alvast voor de
vox populi, mocht de rechtbank de verdachten in deze zaak vrijspreken.
Ik heb zelf dit proces bijgewoond en hoorde Böhlers kantoorgenoot Victor Koppe
tijdens een van de zittingen verklaren dat hij de indruk had dat de mensen op de publieke
tribune het met hem eens waren. In hun requisitoir hebben de beide officieren van
justitie óók aan Koppe's opmerking gerefereerd.
Sinds 2002 volg ik alle belangrijke terreurzaken
op de voet en schreef dit jaar een boek over het Hofstadproces ('Nederlandse
Jihad', uitgeverij Aspekt, 2006). Ik heb nog nooit meegemaakt dat
een advocaat zich ter zitting beriep op de 'vox populi' van de publieke tribune.
Daar zaten behalve journalisten ook vrienden en familieleden van verdachten en
die vrienden en familieleden betuigden voortdurend steun aan de verdachten.
Als in de rechtszaal iets negatiefs over deze verdachten werd gezegd, werden er
op de publieke tribune keelsnijgebaren gemaakt, iemand nam zelfs het woord 'kankerjood' in de mond.
Voordat mr. Böhler de rechters waarschuwt voor de vox populi moet zij eerst maar eens
haar kantoorgenoot Koppe aanspreken op het feit dat deze zich op nogal
ongebruikelijke wijze beroept op wat de mensen op de publieke tribune ervan vinden.
Hilversum
Emerson Vermaat
Auteur 'Nederlandse Jihad.
Het proces tegen de Hofstadgroep'
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