Netherlands: Almere Mosque Surveillance Violated Fundamental Rights, Says Report

IQNA – The Amsterdam metropolitan region’s ombudsman has determined that the municipality of Almere infringed on Muslims' fundamental rights to privacy and freedom of religion by covertly monitoring mosques.

In a report released on Tuesday, the ombudsman described Almere’s actions as “seriously negligent” towards the Muslim community, according to NOS, the NL Times reported.

In 2021, Almere, along with approximately ten other municipalities, commissioned the private investigative firm NTA to examine mosques over concerns about alleged radicalization among Muslims.

This initiative followed guidance from the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security (NCTV). Later that year, NRC exposed NTA’s methods, revealing that investigators secretly infiltrated mosques and collected information on attendees without their knowledge.

In 2022, NRC further reported that Dick Schoof—who was then heading the NCTV and is now Prime Minister—was aware of the concerns surrounding NTA’s approach but did not intervene.

Amid public backlash over the revelation of these secret infiltrations, Almere halted the investigation, prompting ombudsman Munish Ramlal to launch an inquiry.

Ramlal’s report stated that Almere excessively depended on NTA without establishing clear agreements on investigative procedures. “The municipality failed to conduct its own proper investigation into the legality of these practices, while it should have understood the sensitivity of the matter,” he wrote.

The ombudsman also criticized the decision by the mayor and aldermen not to inform the municipal council in advance, only presenting findings afterward.

This approach has eroded trust between Almere’s authorities and the local Muslim community. “Mosque boards that had always cooperated with the municipality to prevent radicalization have completely lost their trust because the municipality has shown itself to be unreliable,” Ramlal stated.

To address the issue, the ombudsman recommended that Almere implement a structured human rights and ethics review for its policies and take steps to rebuild trust with the Muslim community.

In response, the municipality expressed regret over the use of covert investigative techniques.

According to NOS, Almere stated: “Although the municipality had the sincere intention at the time to take its social responsibility, with the knowledge of today, it recognizes that the implementation was not always the right one.”

The municipality added that it has since adopted “a completely different approach” but did not provide further details.

Source: Agencies