{"id":20067,"date":"2021-09-28T19:58:16","date_gmt":"2021-09-28T23:58:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/?p=20067"},"modified":"2021-09-28T19:58:16","modified_gmt":"2021-09-28T23:58:16","slug":"mark-rutte-dutch-police-arrest-politician-over-suspected-plot-to-murder-pm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/2021\/09\/28\/mark-rutte-dutch-police-arrest-politician-over-suspected-plot-to-murder-pm\/","title":{"rendered":"Mark Rutte: Dutch police arrest politician over suspected plot to murder PM"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Dutch police have arrested a politician in the Hague on suspicion of involvement in a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Mark Rutte.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The prime minister’s security service said Arnoud van Doorn, the leader of The Hague Unity Party, was arrested on Sunday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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He “displayed suspicious behaviour” as he walked through the same area of the city as Mr Rutte, the service said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Mr van Doorn was released on Monday after a police interrogation.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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His lawyer Anis Boumanjal told the BBC he should not have been arrested because there was no reasonable suspicion of guilt.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The arrest was reported on Tuesday, a day after Dutch media said Mr Rutte had been given extra security over fears that he may be the target of an attack or kidnapping by a criminal gang.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Mr Rutte, 54, has been followed by so-called spotters linked to a drug trafficking gang, the De Telegraaf newspaper reported on Monday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Telegraaf journalist Mick van Wely told broadcaster NOS the matter was being taken “very seriously”. NOS confirmed the report but Dutch security authorities and the prime minister declined to comment.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Outside parliament on Monday, as he arrived for coalition talks, Mr Rutte told journalists: “Safety and protection are issues never to be discussed in public.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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‘It was very dramatic’<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n
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Prosecutors in The Hague confirmed the arrest of Mr van Doorn to Dutch media and said an investigation was still ongoing.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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A spokesperson said there was suspicion that Mr van Doorn was trying to gather information for “preparation of attempted murder”. No further details were provided.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Prior to his arrest, Mr van Doorn had been in the Hague for about an hour, his lawyer said. He said Mr van Doorn had a coffee at a cafe and made some enquiries at a fitness centre before walking past a BMW thought to be chauffeuring Mr Rutte.<\/p>\n

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Mr van Doorn’s lawyer said the arrest was an overreaction to the recent concerns surrounding the safety of the prime minister.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“They weren’t reasonable in how they handled the case. It was very dramatic,” Mr Boumanjal said. “They detained him for 30 hours.”<\/p>\n

\"Dutch<\/a>
The prime minister of the Netherlands usually walks or cycles the streets alone<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The reported threat to Mr Rutte follows the murder of prominent Dutch journalist Peter R de Vries, who was known for investigating the criminal underworld in the Netherlands.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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