Public Prosecution Service had ‘no grounds’ to refuse American request to seize A/I servers - NRC NL

Public Prosecution Service had ‘no grounds’ to refuse American request to seize A/I servers - by Marloes de Koning for NRC NL

The Public Prosecution Service in Amsterdam has issued a brief statement in response to inquiries regarding the request for legal assistance that led to the seizure of a server earlier this week. According to the Public Prosecution Service, the action was taken under the treaty between the Netherlands and the United States on mutual legal assistance in criminal matters.

“A request for legal assistance in criminal matters is evaluated against, among other things, the requirements of Dutch national law and the grounds for refusal specified in the treaty. In principle, such a request can only be denied if one of these grounds for refusal applies—which was not the case in this instance,” the Public Prosecution Service stated.

Contrary to earlier remarks by an Amsterdam police spokesperson, the information contained on the server has not yet been shared with the United States. The server belongs to the Italian internet service provider Autistici/Inventati (A/I)—an organization that, according to the Americans, facilitates “antifa.” In the U.S., “antifa” is classified as a terrorist organization.

It is not currently known why the data from the server has not yet been shared with the American authorities. The Public Prosecution Service is not providing any further comment at this time.

From: NRC NL