CEDH · CASELAW;JUDGMENTS;CHAMBER;ENG — 20 juillet 2010

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display:inline-block } .s5A0B3B22 { width:134.92pt; display:inline-block } .sF2E32F9B { width:36.61pt; display:inline-block } .s5F32E900 { width:208.31pt; display:inline-block }     THIRD SECTION             CASE OF A. v. THE NETHERLANDS   (Application no. 4900/06)                   JUDGMENT   STRASBOURG   20 July 2010   FINAL   20/10/2010   This judgment has become final under Article 44 § 2 of the Convention. It may be subject to editorial revision. In the case of A. v. the Netherlands, The European Court of Human Rights (Third Section), sitting as a Chamber composed of:   Josep Casadevall, President,   Elisabet Fura,   Corneliu Bîrsan,   Boštjan M. Zupančič,   Alvina Gyulumyan,   Egbert Myjer,   Luis López Guerra, judges, and Santiago Quesada, Section Registrar, Having deliberated in private on 29   June 2010, Delivers the following judgment, which was adopted on that date: PROCEDURE 1.     The case originated in an application (no. 4900/06) against the Kingdom of the Netherlands lodged with the Court under Article 34 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (“the Convention”) by a Libyan national, Mr A. (“the applicant”), on 1   February 2006. 2.     The applicant was represented by Mr P.J. Schüller and Mr   M.   Ferschtman, both lawyers practising in Amsterdam. The Dutch Government (“the Government”) were represented by their Agent, Mr   R.A.A. Böcker, of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 3.     The applicant alleged that his expulsion to Libya would violate his rights under Article 3 of the Convention and that he did not have an effective remedy within the meaning of Article 13 of the Convention taken together with Article 3. 4.     On 2 February 2006, the President of the Chamber decided to apply Rule 39 of the Rules of Court, indicating to the Government that it was desirable in the interests of the parties and the proper conduct of the proceedings not to expel the applicant to Libya pending the proceedings before the Court, and to give notice of the application to the respondent Government. The President further decided of his own motion not to disclose the applicant's name (Rule 47 § 3 of the Rules of Court) and that the documents deposited with the Registry which could lead to the applicant's identification should not be made accessible to the public (Rule   33 § 1). 5.     Having noted the observations submitted by the respondent Government and the observations in reply submitted by the applicant (Rule   54 § 2), as well as the third-party comments received from the Governments of Lithuania, Portugal, Slovakia and the United Kingdom and from the non-governmental organisations the AIRE Centre, Interights (also on behalf of Amnesty International Ltd., the Association for the Prevention of Torture, Human Rights Watch, the International Commission of Jurists, and Redress), Justice and Liberty (Rule 44 § 2), and the parties' comments on those third-party submissions (Rule 44 § 5) – the Court declared the application admissible on 17 November 2009. 6.     The applicant and the Government each filed further written observations on the merits (Rule 59 § 1). The applicant also filed claims for just satisfaction on which the Government commented (Rule 60). THE FACTS I.     THE CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE CASE 7.     The applicant was born in 1972 and lives in Eindhoven. A.     The proceedings on the applicant's asylum request 8.     The applicant entered the Netherlands on 25 November 1997 and applied for asylum. In the course of interviews held with immigration officials on 25 November 1997 and 16 December 1997, he stated that he feared persecution in Libya for his involvement since 1988 in a clandestine, nameless opposition group and its activities which consisted in holding regular meetings, distributing pamphlets and informing people about the Libyan regime by inter alia distributing publications by the Libyan resistance abroad. This group had begun having problems with the Libyan authorities as from late 1992 or early 1993 when a first group member was arrested. More arrests of group members followed and when virtually all his friends in this group had been arrested and detained, the applicant decided to flee Libya which he actually did by the end of 1994 without, however, having himself encountered any problems with the Libyan authorities. He had left the country via an official Libyan border crossing-point and holding his own, authentic passport. After his departure for Saudi Arabia, the applicant's younger brother and brother ‑ in-law were arrested. After a brief illegal stay in Saudi Arabia where he lost his passport, the applicant travelled on to Yemen where he stayed for about eight months, mostly in an aliens' detention centre. Attempts by the Libyan consul in Yemen to have him expelled to Libya failed due to the applicant's refusal to cooperate. In August 1996, after having obtained a forged Libyan passport and released from detention in Yemen, the applicant travelled to Sudan. After the Libyan authorities had sent officials to Sudan in order to trace Libyans in Sudan who were listed as opponents of the Libyan regime and to seek the transfer of these persons to Libya, the applicant no longer felt safe in Sudan and travelled to the Netherlands. 9.     On 27 February 1998, the Deputy Minister of Justice ( Staatssecretaris van Justitie ) rejected the applicant's asylum request. The Deputy Minister did not find it established that the applicant had attracted the negative attention of the Libyan authorities. His alleged membership of a nameless opposition group had remained unsubstantiated and he had failed to give clear information about the group's aims and manner in which it sought to realise these aims. Even assuming that the applicant was associated with this group, he had never held any function of significance within this group and had never encountered any personal problems with the Libyan authorities. On this point, the Deputy Minister noted that about 10 ‑ 15 persons belonging to that group had allegedly been arrested and detained in 1993 whilst the applicant had stayed in Libya until the end of 1994 without having encountered any problem. Moreover, he had left Libya holding an authentic passport in his own name. The Deputy Minister therefore concluded that, even assuming that the applicant had been involved in this opposition group, this had not become known to the Libyan authorities. The Deputy Minister further did not find it established that the applicant, if expelled to Libya, would be exposed to a real and personal risk of being subjected to treatment in breach of Article 3 of the Convention. On 3 March 1998 the applicant filed an objection ( bezwaar ) against that decision with the Deputy Minister. 10.     As the applicant's objection was denied suspensive effect as regards his expulsion from the Netherlands, he applied on 7 April 1998 for a stay of expulsion by way of a provisional measure ( voorlopige voorziening ) with the Regional Court ( rechtbank ) of The Hague sitting in 's-Hertogenbosch. 11.     In support of his objection, the applicant submitted two statements issued by “The National Front for the Salvation of Libya” (“NFSL”) dated 1   February 1998 and 15 June 1998, respectively. According to these statements, the applicant was a sympathiser of this organisation and had disseminated NFSL materials in Libya. 12.     On 5 October 1998 the Deputy Minister dismissed the applicant's objection. On 22 October 1998 the applicant filed an appeal against this decision with the Regional Court of The Hague. 13.     On 9 November 1998 the President of the Regional Court of The Hague sitting in 's ‑ Hertogenbosch granted the applicant's request for a provisional measure and ordered the stay of the applicant's removal until four weeks after the determination of the applicant's objection. 14.     On 30 December 1998, the applicant was informed that – having noted the ruling of 9 November 1998 – the Deputy Minister had withdrawn the decision of 5 October 1998 and would take a fresh decision. Consequently, the applicant withdrew his appeal of 22 October 1998. 15.     On 15 June 1999, the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs started an investigation into the NFSL and the reliability of documents issued by this organisation. The results of this investigation were set out in an official report ( ambtsbericht ), issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on 20 August 1999. 16.     In a fresh decision taken on 30 December 1999, the Deputy Minister of Justice again dismissed the applicant's objection of 3 March 1998, finding that the NFSL statements could not serve in substantiation of the applicant's account. The Deputy Minister did not find it established that the applicant had attracted the negative attention of the Libyan authorities or that he had found himself in an acute flight situation. The Deputy Minister further found no reasons for accepting the applicant's argument that his expulsion to Libya would be in violation of his rights under Article 3 of the Convention. 17.     On 10 February 2000, the applicant filed an appeal against this decision with the Regional Court of The Hague as well as a request for a provisional measure. 18.     By letter of 16 April 2003, the Minister of Immigration and Integration ( Minister voor Immigratie en Integratie ; the successor to the Deputy Minister of Justice) withdrew the decision of 30 December 1999. As the applicant was allowed – pursuant to the ruling of 9 November 1998 – to remain in the Netherlands pending the proceedings on his objection, he withdrew his appeal and request for a provisional measure filed on 10   February 2000. 19.     On 16 June 2003, after the applicant had been heard on his objection before an official commission ( ambtelijke commissie ), the Minister rejected the applicant's objection of 3 March 1998. In this decision, the Minister further decided not to grant the applicant ex officio a residence title on account of the duration of the still pending proceedings on his asylum request ( tijdsverloop in de asielprocedure ). 20.     On 17 June 2003, the applicant filed an appeal with the Regional Court of The Hague against the rejection of his objection of 3 March 1998 as well as a request for a provisional measure. 21.     On the same date, the applicant filed an objection with the Minister against the decision of 17 June 2003 not to grant him a residence title on account of the length of the determination of his asylum request, as well as a request with the Regional Court for a provisional measure. 22.     On 10 July 2003, the Minister informed the applicant that he would not be expelled pending the decision on the provisional measure request he had filed in the context of his asylum application. 23.     On 17 July 2003, the Minister withdrew the decision of 16 June 2003 on the applicant's asylum request. Consequently, the President of the Regional Court of The Hague sitting in Middelburg declared inadmissible the applicant's provisional measure request filed in the context of these asylum proceedings and, pursuant to the ruling of 9 November 1998, the applicant was allowed to remain in the Netherlands pending the proceedings on his objection of 3 March 1998. 24.     On 28 January 2004, after the applicant had been heard on 8   December 2003 before an official commission and had submitted a statement dated 25 November 2003 from the Geneva-based Libyan League for Human Rights (“LLHR”), according to which the applicant was a member of this organisation and for that reason would be persecuted and imprisoned, possibly executed, if he were to be expelled to Libya, the Minister rejected the applicant's objections of 3 March 1998 and 17   June 2003. 25.     On 29 November 2004 the Regional Court of The Hague sitting in Middelburg accepted the two separate appeals filed by the applicant and remitted the case to the Minister for fresh decisions. 26.     On 17 May 2005, the applicant was heard before an official commission on his objections of 3 March 1998 and 17 June 2003. In the course of this hearing, the applicant was informed of the Minister's intention ( voornemen ) to impose an exclusion order ( ongewenstverklaring ) on him, as he was considered to pose a threat to national security (see below §§ 40 and 53). At his lawyer's advice, the applicant did not wish to react to that intention during this hearing. 27.     In a fresh decision given on 3 November 2005, the Minister again rejected the applicant's objections of 3 March 1998 and 17 June 2003. Referring to an individual official report on the applicant drawn up on 9   February 2005 by the General Intelligence and Security Service ( Algemene Inlichtingen- en Veiligheidsdienst ; “AIVD”), the Minister noted that the AIVD considered the applicant to constitute a danger to national security (see below § 40). Noting that, after having been granted access to the underlying materials of the AIVD individual official report of 9   February 2005, the Immigration and Naturalisation Department ( Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst ) of the Ministry of Justice had concluded on 6   October 2005 that this report, both as regards its content and procedure, had been drawn up in a careful manner and that it provided insight in a logical, transparent manner, the Minister accepted the correctness of the individual official report of 9 February 2005. Consequently, in accordance with the case-law of the Administrative Jurisdiction Division ( Afdeling Bestuursrechtspraak ) of the Council of State ( Raad van State ), the finding that the applicant represented a danger to national security was, in itself, a sufficient ground for rejecting his asylum request and to deny him a residence permit on account of the duration of the proceedings on his asylum request. Moreover, the Minister found no indications in the case that in Libya the applicant would have to fear persecution within the meaning of the 1951 Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees. Following an extensive examination of the applicant's account, the Minister did not find it established that the applicant had attracted the negative attention of the Libyan authorities on grounds of his alleged involvement with the NFSL or his involvement with and marginal activities for the LLHR in the Netherlands. The Minister further did not find it established that – on account of the criminal proceedings taken against the applicant in the Netherlands (see below §§ 41-45) or his very marginal opposition activities – the applicant would be exposed in Libya to a real risk of being subjected to treatment prohibited under Article 3 of the Convention. 28.   On 8 November 2005, the applicant filed two separate appeals (one against the refusal to grant him asylum and the other one against the refusal to grant him a residence title on account of the duration of the still pending asylum proceedings) and, having been informed that he was not allowed to await the outcome of those appeals in the Netherlands, also two separate requests for a provisional measure with the Regional Court of The Hague. In addition, as the Minister had decided on 4 November 2005 to impose an exclusion order ( ongewenstverklaring ) on the applicant against which the applicant had filed an objection (see below § 56), he also applied for a provisional measure allowing him to remain in the Netherlands pending the determination of this objection by the Minister. 29.     In the proceedings on these appeals and requests for a provisional measure and with the parties' consent, the provisional-measures judge ( voorzieningenrechter ) of the Regional Court of The Hague sitting in Zwolle was granted access to the materials underlying the AIVD individual official report of 9 February 2005 without these materials being disclosed to the applicant. 30.     On 1 February 2006, the provisional-measures judge of the Regional Court of The Hague sitting in Zwolle rejected the applicant's three requests for a provisional measure as well as his two appeals on the merits against the Deputy Minister's decision of 3 November 2005. After having verified personally and accepted that the conclusions drawn in the AIVD official report of 9 February 2005 were sufficiently supported by the underlying materials, the provisional-measures judge accepted the Minister's conclusion that the applicant posed a threat to the national security and could for that reason be denied a Netherlands residence title, either for asylum or on account of the duration of the proceedings on his asylum request. 31.     The provisional-measures judge further accepted the reasons given by the Minister for concluding that it had not been established that the applicant, if expelled to Libya, would be exposed to a risk of being subjected to treatment in breach of Article 3 of the Convention on account of his alleged involvement with the NFSL or his involvement with and activities for the LLHR in the Netherlands. Further noting that, when the applicant was presented at the Libyan mission for the purposes of obtaining travel documents (see below § 35), the Netherlands authorities had only provided this mission with extremely neutral information about him, the provisional-measures judge also did not find it established that the applicant would be exposed to such a risk in Libya for being an expelled unsuccessful asylum seeker. 32.     As to the applicant's further argument that, given the publicity attracted by the criminal proceedings taken against him before the Rotterdam Regional Court (see below §§ 43-45), the Libyan authorities had become aware of the nature of the suspicions having arisen against him in the Netherlands and that he would also for that reason risk treatment contrary to Article 3 of the Convention in Libya, the provisional-measures judge held, referring to the general principles under Article 3 of the Convention as defined by the Court in its judgments in the cases of Vilvarajah and Others v. the United Kingdom , (judgment of 30 October 1991, Series A no. 215) and Venkadajalasarma v. the Netherlands , (no.   58510/00, 17 February 2004), that also this had not been established. No information about the applicant's trial had been given to the Libyan mission when the applicant was presented. Even assuming that the Libyan authorities would have become aware of these criminal proceedings in another manner, this was in itself not sufficient for accepting as plausible that the applicant would thus risk treatment contrary to Article 3 in Libya. Also the applicant's reliance in this context on documents of a general nature about the general attitude of the Libyan authorities was insufficient for finding this risk established. The provisional-measures judge found that the applicant had not submitted, let alone demonstrated, facts or circumstances relating to him personally leading to the conclusion that he, if expelled to Libya, would risk such treatment, and that in this respect he had only made a mere reference to the suspicions arisen against him, the ensuing criminal proceedings and speculated about the possible consequences thereof upon his return to Libya. According to the provisional-measures judge is was, however, not for the Minister to demonstrate that the alleged risk actually did not exist. 33.     As regards the applicant's request for a provisional measure in connection with his objection against the decision to impose an exclusion order on him, the provisional-measures judge acknowledged that it was difficult for the applicant to furnish proof and for the Minister to offer relief in this respect. However, as the provisional-measures judge himself had been given access to the materials underlying the AIVD individual official report on the applicant of 9 February 2005, there was an extra guarantee for the due care with which the conclusions made in this report were drawn and formulated. The provisional-measures judge accepted that these underlying materials could carry the conclusions drawn in the report of 9 February 2005 and that therefore the Minister could impose an exclusion order on the applicant on the basis of that report. In so far as the applicant relied on Article 3 of the Convention, the provisional-measures judge reiterated his finding that the applicant had not demonstrated that he, if expelled to Libya, would be exposed to a risk of treatment prohibited by Article 3 of the Convention. Pursuant to article 117 § 2 of the Aliens Act 1965 ( Vreemdelingenwet ), no further appeal lay against this ruling of the provisional-measures judge. B.     The proceedings on the applicant's placement in aliens' detention 34.     On 19 May 2003, the applicant was placed in aliens' detention for removal purposes. On 17 June 2003, following a hearing held on 27 May 2003, the Regional Court of The Hague dismissed the applicant's appeal against the decision to place him in aliens' detention and his compensation claim. On 8 August 2003, the Administrative Jurisdiction Division accepted the applicant's subsequent appeal. Disagreeing with the Regional Court of The Hague, it held that the applicant had lawfully stayed in the Netherlands until 16 June 2003 when in the asylum proceedings the Minister had rejected the applicant's objection of 3 March 1998 (see above § 15). Accordingly, it quashed the ruling of 17 June 2003, ordered the lifting of the detention measure, remitted the case to the Regional Court for a determination of the applicant's compensation claim and issued an order for costs against the State. 35.     On 8 November 2005, after having been notified of the decision to impose an exclusion order on him (see below § 56), the applicant was again placed in aliens' detention for removal purposes. On 9 November 2005, the Brabant Zuid-Oost Aliens Police Department ( Vreemdelingenpolitie ) informed the Libyan mission in the Netherlands of this placement in aliens' detention and the applicant's name. As he did not hold any travel or other identity documents, the Aliens Police Department wished to make an appointment for presenting the applicant at the Libyan mission for the purposes of obtaining travel documents. On 10 November 2005, the applicant refused to cooperate in a presentation by telephone, as he was not allowed a prior consultation with his lawyer. Following a written protest by his lawyer, the State Advocate ( Landsadvocaat ) informed the applicant's lawyer by letter of 11 November 2005 that no further contacts with the Libyan mission would be made by the Netherlands immigration authorities or any other administration for which the Minister for Immigration and Integration was responsible until the provisional-measures judge of the Regional Court of The Hague sitting in Zwolle had given a ruling (see above §§ 29-33). 36.     On 23 November 2005, following a hearing held on 16   November 2005, the Regional Court of The Hague sitting in Zutphen rejected the applicant's appeal against the decision to place him in aliens' detention and his pertaining request for compensation. 37.     On 13 March 2006, following a hearing held on 7 March 2006, the Regional Court of The Hague sitting in Almelo accepted the applicant's appeal against his continued placement in aliens' detention. It found that the Minister had failed to demonstrate that, despite the interim measure issued by the European Court of Human Rights on 2 February 2006, there were reasonable prospects for the applicant's expulsion within a reasonable delay. Accordingly, it ordered the applicant's immediate release from aliens' detention. The applicant was released the same day. C.     Relevant official reports drawn up by the Netherlands intelligence and security services 38.     On 22 April 2002, the Netherlands National Security Service ( Binnenlandse Veiligheidsdienst – “BVD”) sent an official report to the national public prosecutor responsible for combating terrorism ( landelijk officier van justitie terrorismebestrijding ), part of which reads as follows: “In the framework of its statutory task, the BVD is investigating a network active in the Netherlands which is associated with Islamic terrorist organisations. It concerns the Groupe Salafiste pour la Prédication et le Combat (GSPC); an organisation that works from the same ideological basis as the Al Qaeda network. The GSPC is an Algerian extremist Islamic organisation of which it is generally known that it has prepared and carried out attacks in Algeria and elsewhere. The part of this network which is active in the Netherlands is in particular involved in providing material, financial and logistical support and in propagating, planning and actually using violence for the benefit of the international jihad. The members of this network understand jihad as the armed battle in all its forms against all enemies of Islam, including the (for them) unacceptable governments in the Middle East and the United States [of America]. It appears from the investigation conducted by the BVD that the part of this network which is active in the Netherlands is implicated in closely interwoven activities which complement and reinforce each other and which serve the same goal, namely the waging of jihad. The most important activities are the following: - The network is active in assisting in the entry [into the Netherlands], housing and transit of persons having actively participated in jihad. The members of the network provide these persons with (forged) identity papers, money and shelter. These persons possibly include fighters coming from an area where an armed conflict is ongoing. It is not excluded that at the addresses cited below [of the persons belonging to the part of the network active in the Netherlands] persons as referred to above are also being sheltered, - The network is active in recruiting young men in the Netherlands for effectively conducting jihad. To this end, these young men are incited to prepare for martyrdom and they are enabled materially, financially and logistically to leave for a battle scene. As an example, one can think of Kashmir where earlier this year two young Dutch men of Moroccan origin were killed. In this context a battle scene must be interpreted broadly, including areas where there is an armed conflict between different parties, but also terrorism, - The part of this network which is active in the Netherlands finances its own activities with proceeds from trading in and exporting hard drugs. It must be emphasised that it has appeared to the BVD that the trade in and export of hard drugs as well as the forcing into submission of those involved in the trade and transport are religiously sanctioned. This means that the proceeds of the trade in and export of hard drugs are used for the commonly subscribed goal of jihad, and that disobedience is labelled as apostasy and severely punished. In this context, the BVD knows that a member of this network who has embezzled a quantity of drugs is regarded as an apostate and is currently searched for by members of this network active in the Netherlands. It appears from recorded telephone conversations that violence will be used against this person. It appears from the terminology used that there is a serious risk of liquidation, - Lastly it must be noted that these activities take place in an organisational setting. Facilitation, falsification, recruitment, financing and liquidation for the benefit of jihad always take place in mutual consultation and coordination between members of this network. The activities of the network have been continuing in any event from 2001 to date. ...” 39.     On 29 May 2002, pursuant to the 2002 Intelligence and Security Services Act ( Wet op de inlichtingen- en veiligheidsdiensten ), the BVD was succeeded by the General Intelligence and Security Service ( Algemene Inlichtingen- en Veiligheidsdienst – “AIVD”). 40.     On 27 August 2002, the Acting Head of the AIVD sent a further official report to the national public prosecutor responsible for combating terrorism. This report reads in its relevant part: “ I.     The recruitment network In the exercise of its statutory task, it has appeared to the AIVD from reliable, vulnerable sources, that a network of extremist muslims is active in the Netherlands which is in particular involved in providing material, financial and logistical support and in propagating, planning and inciting to actually using violence for the benefit of the international jihad. The members of this network understand jihad as the armed battle in all its forms against enemies of Islam, including the (for them) unacceptable governments in the Middle East and the United States [of America]. It has been established that the network, in a series of similar activities, is currently preparing and organising in any event two, possibly even more, and for the time being unidentified, jihadists. These persons will travel to a, for the time being unknown, area where the battle is currently actually being held, with the aim of becoming a martyr. The departure of both unidentified jihadists would be imminent. It can be said in general that currently there is a clear increased activity within the network, which appears to indicate an imminent departure or other covert activities of the network in a very near future. Investigation has shown that the above network provides support to or forms a part of the Al Qaeda organisation of Osama Bin Laden. II.     The activities of the network The most important activities of the network are: The recruitment of young men for effectively conducting jihad. To this end, it is propagated that it is the duty is muslims to wage jihad and are young men incited to prepare for martyrdom. The materially, financially and logistically enabling of jihadists to leave in the direction of a battle scene. The necessary funds are gathered inter alia by collecting money in mosques in various European countries, including the Netherlands. Lastly it must be noted that these activities take place in an organisational setting. Recruitment, facilitating and financing for the benefit of jihad always take place in mutual consultation and following coordination between members of this network. III.     Important persons in the network In the recruitment network the following persons play a prominent role: ... 2. [the applicant] alias ... alias ... IV.     The activities of the important persons in the network ... 2. [the applicant] To recruit and motivate jihad-fighters -           [the applicant] is held in high esteem amongst North-African youngsters to be recruited, also by his past of mujahedin in Afghanistan. [The applicant] also indicates that once he wished to die as martyr to the faith. -           On 9 August 2002 [the applicant] tells ... that he is prepared to participate, that he “is ready for it”; but that has to stay very secret. -           On 20 April 2002 a meeting was held in Roermond, organised by opponents of the violent jihad. [The applicant] wants to attend this meeting together with ... with the aim of letting the attending youngsters hear an alternative sound (in casu pro-jihad). -           On or around 13 May 2002 [the applicant] informs with unknown brothers in Alphen aan de Rijn whether they are ready to leave. These brothers “do not mind going”. To organise and facilitate jihad-journeys -           [The applicant] tells on 9 August 2002 that the departing jihadists are going to buy passports (“books”) and that the price of passports depends on the duration of validity (in casu six months or longer). -           [The applicant] reports on 12 May 2002 to a person having remained unidentified that fighters are needed and that there is a new, easier route, provided one disposes of good documents. -           Together with ... [the applicant] has collected money in the Netherlands, in particular in Eindhoven, in any event by the end of 2001. The proceeds of these collection activities was several ten thousands of [Netherlands] guilders and would, according to [the applicant] and ... be for the benefit of the Taliban.” 41.     On 9 February 2005, the AIVD drew up an individual official report on the applicant, according to which he was classified as a danger to national security. It had become known to the AIVD that the applicant was playing a prominent role in a jihad recruitment network active in the Netherlands which, in the opinion of the AIVD, constituted a threat to national security. The AIVD had further learned that the applicant had been a mujahidin, and that he was active as motivator of jihad fighters, as facilitator of jihad journeys and as jihad recruiter. D.     The criminal proceedings against the applicant 42.     On the basis of the BVD official report of 22 April 2002 (see above §   37) and the AIVD official report of 27 August 2002 (see above § 39) as transmitted by the national public prosecutor responsible for combating terrorism to the Public Prosecution Service ( Openbaar Ministerie ), two criminal investigations were opened. These two investigations were later joined. In the course of this investigation various suspects were arrested and various premises searched where these suspect were living or staying. In the course of these searches a large quantity of books, documents and audio/audiovisual materials were found and seized. 43.     The applicant was arrested on 30 August 2002 and detained on remand on suspicion of belonging to a criminal organisation with the alleged aim of prejudicing the Netherlands State by providing assistance to the enemy conducting a holy war (jihad) against – amongst others – the Netherlands; and which organisation was further involved in drug-trafficking, forgery of (identity) documents, using false (identity) documents, human trafficking and possession of illegal fire arms. These suspicions were based on the content of various intelligence reports drawn up by the BVD and its successor the AIVD. 44.     The applicant and eleven co-suspects were subsequently formally charged and summoned to appear before the Rotterdam Regional Court in order to stand trial. The “Rotterdam jihad trial” proceedings attracted considerable media attention and a photograph of the applicant appeared in various printed media. In a number of publications, the applicant's name and nationality were mentioned. 45.     In its judgment of 5 June 2003, the Rotterdam Regional Court acquitted the applicant and his co-accused of all charges, finding that these had not been legally and convincingly substantiated. The Rotterdam Regional Court held that the BVD/AIVD official reports submitted by the prosecution could not be used in evidence, as the Head and Deputy Head of the AIVD – who had been examined by the investigation judge as well as before the Regional Court – and the national public prosecutor responsible for combating terrorism had refused to give evidence about the origins of the information set out in these official reports, invoking their obligation to observe secrecy under the 2002 Intelligence and Security Services Act whereas, in accordance with a decision of 2   May 2003, the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations ( Minister van Binnenlandse Zaken en Koninkrijksrelaties ) and the Minister of Justice ( Minister van Justitie ) had not released them from that obligation in the event of their being called as witnesses in the criminal proceedings in issue. As a result, the defence had not been given the opportunity to verify in an effective manner the origins and correctness of the information set out in these official reports. The Regional Court considered that there was no basis in law for taking another approach, to the effect that the strictness of evidentiary rules would depend on the seriousness of the offence of which a person was suspected. Consequently, although it acknowledged that the obligation of secrecy at issue was certainly justified in cases concerning national security and found that the public prosecutor had not unlawfully used the material supplied by the BVD/AIVD in the determination of the question whether there was a serious suspicion of an offence and in the decision to arrest the applicant, the Regional Court concluded that these BVD/AIVD reports could not be used in evidence against the applicant. The Regional Court did allow in evidence telephone conversations intercepted by the BVD/AIVD as the defence had been given the opportunity to verify their content. 46.     The prosecution initially lodged an appeal against this judgment but withdrew it on 6 September 2005, before the trial proceedings on appeal had commenced. According to a press release issued on 6 September 2005 by the Public Prosecution Service, this decision was taken in view of new legislative developments, namely the Act on Terrorist Crimes ( Wet Terroristische Misdrijven ) – rendering inter alia recruitment for [Islamic] armed struggle a criminal offence – having already entered into force on 10   August 2004 but without retroactive effect, and the advanced stage of adoption by Parliament of the Bill on the Protected Witnesses Act ( Wetsvoorstel voor de Wet Afgeschermde Getuigen ) providing for the possibility of using official reports of the AIVD in evidence. E.     The proceedings on the applicant's request for disclosure of materials underlying the AIVD individual official report of 9   February 2005 47.     On 26 July 2005 and under article 47 of the Intelligence and Security Services Act 2002 ( Wet op de inlichtingen- en veiligheidsdiensten 2002 ), the applicant requested access to the materials underlying the conclusions set out in the AIVD individual official report of 9 February 2005 (see above § 40). 48.     On 27 July 2005, the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations informed the applicant that his request would be taken into consideration as soon as he had provided the Minister with a legible copy of a valid identification document and that following receipt of this document, his request would be determined within three months at the utmost. Failure to do so would entail that his request would not be taken into consideration. The applicant complied with this request on 9 August 2005 by submitting a copy of his Netherlands aliens' identity card (“ W-document ”), the validity of which, however, had expired on 20 November 2004. 49.     By letter of 1 September 2005, the Minister informed the applicant that his request for access would not be considered as he had failed to submit a valid identity document, as required pursuant to article 47 § 3 of the Intelligence and Security Services Act 2002 and the pertaining Explanatory Memorandum. 50.     On 11 October 2005, the applicant filed a fresh request with the Minister for access to the materials underlying the conclusions set out in the AIVD individual official report of 9 February 2005 and, on the same day, filed an objection against the Minister's decision of 1 September 2005 in which he argued that it could not be derived from the Explanatory Memorandum to the Intelligence and Security Services Act 2002 that for a proper determination of the identity of a petitioner only a valid identity document could be used. The applicant attached a copy of his valid “W-document” for the purposes of a reconsideration of the decision in the objection phase. 51.     On 20 December 2005, following a hearing held on 16 November 2005, the Minister accepted the objection now the applicant had submitted a copy of his valid “W-document” and decided to take his request for access into consideration. As to the applicant's fresh request for access, the Minister referred to his decision on the merits of the applicant's request. 52.     In a new decision taken on the applicant's access request on 20   December 2005, the Minister held that, pursuant to article 53 § 1, article   5 § 1 (b) in conjunction with article 15 opening words under (b), and Chapter 4 of the Intelligence and Security Services Act 2002, no information could be provided about the AIVD's current level of knowledge, its sources and its working methods. Consequently, the Minister rejected the applicant's request in so far as it concerned a request for access to current data. As the official report at issue concerned Islamic terrorism which was a topical subject within the meaning of article 53 § 1 (b) of the Intelligence and Security Services Act 2002, national security interests opposed providing further information. The Minister further stated that no outdated data on the applicant had been found in the archives of the AIVD and its