WILLEMSTAD - Today the custody of "Lon" M. has been treated by the examining magistrate. The claim of the Public Prosecution Service has been upheld and the provisional detention of "Lon" M. has been suspended at the same time, subject to special conditions.
The Public Prosecution Service has indicated in advance that it would not oppose suspension of pre-trial detention. However, the criminal investigation continues; the serious objections to the sedition and overt violence that "Lon" M. is suspected of are still in force.
At the request of the Public Prosecution Service, the examining magistrate imposed the following conditions: not committing a criminal offense again and compulsory contact with the probation service. With this suspension consent, the Public Prosecution Service aims to create a situation in which, on the one hand, the rights of our citizens, such as those of demonstration, are respected and, on the other hand, public order is affected by criminal offenses. Everyone wants Dia di Bandera (Flag Day) to go smoothly and peacefully, and to act with respect in the future.
"Lon" M. was one of many arrested on June 24, 2020, during a demonstration that got out of hand at Fort Amsterdam. Twenty suspects of the large group of suspects arrested have remained in custody. The role each suspect had in the demonstration will be assessed by the Public Prosecution Service and it will depend on that assessment whether an extension of their detention is requested. Those claims are also treated this week.