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News item | 15-07-2008
Foreign minister Maxime Verhagen has said he is 'not dissatisfied' with the Swiss Federal Tribunal's judgment that MSF must repay 270.000 euros to the Dutch government in de Arjan Erkel case.
'I am glad that the Netherlands appealed the Swiss court's earlier
decision,' Mr Verhagen said. The Federal Tribunal has not yet released the
exact judgment nor the grounds on which it is based.
In 2004 Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) paid a ransom of 1 million euros for
the release of aid worker Arjan Erkel, who had been kidnapped in the Russian
province of Dagestan. At MSF's request, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs
provided a loan of 770,000 euros.
When MSF refused to repay the loan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs took
legal action. The Dutch government has always stressed that there was no
question of paying a ransom.
'The Netherlands adheres to the principle that it does not negotiate with
kidnappers and never pays ransom money. This was a loan to Médecins Sans
Frontières, which we expected would be repaid,' said Mr Verhagen.
The court in Geneva has twice declared the ministry's claim unfounded. The
Netherlands subsequently lodged an appeal in cassation, which resulted in the
new judgment, ordering MSF to share the cost.
15-07-2008