Completely innocent! The Brussels Court of Appeal delivered its verdict on the case filed on November 30, 2023. The case involved Alexis, former president of Belgium’s League for Humanity (LDH) and current vice-president of the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH). Dethwaef vs. Police Chief Pierre Vandersmissen. The court confirmed the judgment handed down by the trial court in July 2021. For LDH and FIDH, this case exemplifies the democratic problems posed by “hush lawsuits.”
This brings to an end a lawsuit that has lasted nearly eight years.and that’s a big relief Alexis Desław: “Procedures like this – gag lawsuits incited to intimidate and silence – are exhausting! But today, freedom of expression has won!”
Alexis Desweef, currently vice-president of FIDH, was accused of harassment and insults between 2008 and 2016 by Pierre Vandersmissen, then police chief of the Brussels-Capital-Ixelles region. The legal action concerned comments made by Alexis Desweif about the police. He is active on his network in the media and social in his capacity as a lawyer and President of the League of Humanities (LDH).
The Court of Appeal similarly ruled in the Brussels Criminal Court’s July 15, 2021 judgment that these statements fell within the scope of freedom of expression in the context of his role as LDH president.
Although LDH is relieved by this acquittal, we are surprised that it took years of legal proceedings to prove that these charges were unfounded, and that the Prosecutor’s Office dismissed the Director’s original charges. This fact was confirmed at the time.
Beyond the case of Alexis Desław, this case illustrates the pressure and intimidation weighing on human rights organizations, including in Belgium, as the Federal Institute for Human Rights pointed out last December. “Between 2020 and 2022, I was attacked or threatened at least once. In most cases, this includes legal threats, i.e., taking unfounded legal action or threatening to file a lawsuit. Nearly a quarter of organizations said they had experienced something like this.” Even if it pales in comparison to the reality faced by human rights defenders in other parts of the world, it is concerning. This is a situation that should be done.
In addition to Alexis Desław, a third of the FIDH International Secretariat is currently indicted or has been indicted in the past few months. Some of the vice presidents are:
– Fathia Mauridianthi faced similar charges in Indonesia and was acquitted on January 8, 2024.
– Adilul Khan was sentenced in August 2023 in Bangladesh but released in October 2023.and
– Valencin Stepanovich is imprisoned in Belarus.
Regarding the General Secretary of FIDH:
– Vilma Nuñez was stripped of her citizenship and placed under house arrest in Managua, Nicaragua.
– Khurram Parvez is being held in India.
FIDH CEO Eleonore Morel said: “Governments must end these unjustified prosecutions. This shows that rights defenders are being targeted by governments around the world. “There is,” he said.