The District Court of The Hague delivered on April 14 its judgment in a case that was brought by a man who was sentenced to life imprisonment and sought clarification on the guidelines for his pardon.
The judge decided that the government should provide specific prerequisites that the detainee must meet in order be eligible for a pardon.
The man was sentenced to life in prison in 1989 for the robbery and murder of a Chinese family in Rotterdam in 1987. He has been detained for almost thirty years now. He has asked to be pardoned five times, but all requests have been denied so far. The sixth request is still pending and a decision has not been reached.
The judge in The Hague decided that it is not sufficiently clear to the man what is specifically required from him and where his pardon situation stands. This does not mean that when more clarity is provided, he will be pardoned and released.
