Overview
- The District Court of The Hague ruled that the 2014 mutual legal assistance letter to Thai police concerning Johan van Laarhoven was lawful.
- The court rejected his bid for compensation, making his roughly €44 million damages demand effectively untenable.
- Dutch authorities requested wiretaps, searches and asset freezes rather than an arrest, yet Thai police detained Van Laarhoven and his then‑wife for years under harsh conditions.
- Judges distinguished the National Ombudsman’s earlier finding of impropriety from legal unlawfulness and noted the Ombudsman lacked some information available to the court.
- Van Laarhoven’s lawyer announced an appeal, and the court pointed to the 2024 Dutch settlement, including €7.75 million surrendered, as supporting a continued reasonable suspicion.