Ridouan Taghi will be going to court because he recently had to wear handcuffs whenever he moved around his department within the Extra Secure Institution (EBI) in Vught. According to his detention lawyer Thomas van der Horst, the prison management did not provide any reason or justification for the handcuff regime.

Van der Horst hereby confirms the report from Crimesite. Lawyers told the website that handcuffs are only worn in prison wards in exceptional cases and only when this is absolutely necessary for security reasons. According to him, such a decision must be explicitly motivated. Taghi, the main suspect in the Marengo liquidation process, has also not been informed how long the handcuff regime will be in effect. The counselor called it a far-reaching and deeply humiliating and upsetting act for his client, who himself spoke of covert punitive measures and complicating conditions of detention.

Oral care

It is not yet known when the trial will take place, said the lawyer handling matters relating to Taghi’s detention. It will be an oral hearing where three judges from the court in Den Bosch will come to Vught. Taghi has the right to appear alone, with his lawyer. Prison management is represented by state attorneys. An EBI spokesman said he could not talk about individual cases.

Taghi is expected Monday in the court bunker in Amsterdam for an additional session in the Marengo proceedings, where he will talk about his change of attorney. After Inez Weski’s arrest in late April, Taghi was left without a lawyer. It is now clear that attorney Michael Ruperti wants to put together a new defense team.

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