Dutch parliament considers new terror laws News
Dutch parliament considers new terror laws

[JURIST] The Dutch Parliament's lower house [Parliament official website, English version] passed a new terror bill Friday that will lower the level of evidence needed to hold a terror suspect, allow the government to hold suspects for up to two weeks without filing charges, and require suspected terrorists to regularly report to authorities. The bill, proposed by the Dutch Justice Ministry [official website, English version], will allow authorities to use presently outlawed techniques such as infiltrating terror cells for undercover operations, telephone taps and entrapment tactics. In addition, prosecutors will be able to approve the use of spot searches of people and cars in public places under suspicion of a terror attack plot. The proposed legislation is in response to a recent string of terrorist activity, including the November murder of Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh by a Muslim radical [BBC report]. The bill must now pass the upper house. AP has more.