Four employees of the Extra Secure Institution (EBI) in Vught went into hiding in October for fear of a violent action. This happened a day after the Public Prosecution Service announced on October 8 that Ridouan Taghi would have prepared an escape attempt.
The Public Prosecution Service reported at the time that there were indications that Taghi had been looking for “address details of prison staff” before the escape attempt. Now it appears from information provided by NRC it was recognized that the names of four EBI employees were on a list and that partly because of this they were brought to safety. The existence of that list has been confirmed by sources who are well aware of the Taghi file.
The concrete threat to the four EBI employees has caused great unrest among prison staff. Even before the news of Taghi’s outbreak attempt became known, the staff had called for additional measures. For example, they wanted to use masks to prevent Taghi and a number of co-defendants from finding out their identity. That is, say sources, rejected at the time but earlier this week reported current affairs program One today that Taghi’s guards are now wearing masks.
Escape attempt
On October 8, lawyer Youssef T. was arrested in the EBI in front of his cousin Ridouan Taghi, whom he was visiting. According to the Public Prosecution Service, Youssef T. acted as a contact person for his cousin with the outside world and, in addition to being involved in the preparation of the escape attempt, he would also be a member of Ridouan Taghi’s criminal organization that is focused on drug trafficking.
Youssef T. is suspected of involvement in “very serious and violent facts”, according to a decision by the Amsterdam court in a complaint procedure conducted on behalf of Youssef T. because he disputes the lawfulness of the search of his law firm. The court rejected that complaint and refers, among other things, to “a possible acute threat that heavy violence would be used with the life of others”.
The EBI is a part of the prison in Vught where a special regime applies that has been made for detainees in the highest risk category. They are only allowed to have contact with people who have been screened. This applies to visitors as well as people who are spoken to by telephone. All conversations they have are recorded. The only exception concerns contact between suspects and their lawyers. Confidential contact between a suspect and his lawyer is one of the basic principles of a fair trial.
After the arrest of lawyer Youssef T., the contact between lawyers and suspects has been further limited by the EBI board. For example , lawyers are no longer allowed to bring laptops to discuss the criminal case . Although this makes the preparation of a criminal case virtually impossible, according to lawyers, Minister for Legal Protection Sander Dekker (VVD) no plans to roll back the laptop ban. As part of the Judicial Institutions Service, the EBI falls directly under the Ministry of Justice and Security.
Spokespersons for EBI and the ministry said they were unable to respond to the unrest that has arisen among EBI staff when asked.
A version of this article also appeared in NRC in the morning of November 25, 2021
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