Ann Willems
Katja Wauters
Ambassador's Secretariat
H.E. Ambassador Johan Verbeke
Dear Ms. Willems and Ms. Wauters,
It has come to my attention that Marianne Maeckelbergh (US citizen and professor at the University of Leiden, Netherlands) was arrested for taking pictures while police were making violent arrests in Brussels, Belgium during last a protest Friday. Not only was she arrested, but she reports that "she was violently dragged by her hair, chained to a radiator, hit, kicked, spat upon, called a whore, and threatened with sexual assault by the police. She also witnessed the torture of another prisoner also chained to a radiator."
Further, it was reported that "This did not take place not in a dark corner of the police station but out in the open, directly witnessed by police station authorities, who gave the impression that this was standard practice. Police removed her ID card, USB stick, the camera with the photos on it, as well as 25 euros in cash – to date they have refused to return her property."
These abuses are illegal, and I expect that the police directly involved in these incidents be held legally responsible for their violent actions. It also seems that there is a culture among Belgian police authorities that accepts and finds "normal" these kinds of abuses. There is nothing acceptable about what is reported as transpiring last Friday, and I certainly hope that it is not "normal" procedure in your police departments. I expect that you agree and take appropriate steps - both with individual law enforcement officers, and with regard to apparent systemic problems in your law enforcement organizations - to ensure that peoples' rights are upheld, and that their fundamental human rights are not egregiously violated by your employees.
Finally, Marianne's belongings should be returned to her, undamaged, with whatever photographic documentation that exists on her camera remaining intact.
I look forward to your response on this matter, including the steps that will be taken to ensure that these violent abuses are not repeated.
Sincerely,
Maria Rohaly
--
Maria Rohaly
Coordinator,
Mission Free Iran
http://missionfreeiran.org
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