Arjan Erkel
Encyclopedia
Peter-Arjan Erkel is a Dutch
medical aid worker and was head of the relief mission for Médecins Sans Frontières
(MSF) in Dagestan
, a constituent republic of Russia
.
His main task was caring for refugees fleeing from fighting in neighboring Chechnya
.
He was abducted
by three gunmen in Makhachkala
on August 12, 2002. To this day, the humanitarian group is not sure who abducted Erkel or why, but it does know that he was being shadowed by Russian security forces in the days before his disappearance.
On April 11, 2004, Erkel was free again and appeared to be in reasonably good health. Originally the Dutch government claimed that Erkel was rescued in a “special operation” conducted jointly by the Russian (Federal Security Service) FSB and local Dagestani police and that Arjan was slightly hurt in the "storming" of the hideout. The government eventually admitted that that was a lie and that they paid a 1 million euro
ransom
to free Erkel, but claimed that it didn't pay the ransom itself but on behalf of the organisation, claiming it was a loan
that MSF had orally promised to pay back. MSF refutes this and in June 2004 the Dutch government announced a lawsuit
.
This is the first time a national government has sued an aid agency.
MSF has suspended its operations in Chechnya
several times over kidnappings of its personnel.
In March 2007 the Dutch government lost the case: MSF does not have to pay back the 770.000 euro the government has paid, and gets 45,000 euro back of the 230,000 euro it paid through the government. The government has appeal
ed. The appeal was lost in February 2008.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
medical aid worker and was head of the relief mission for Médecins Sans Frontières
Médecins Sans Frontières
' , or Doctors Without Borders, is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland...
(MSF) in Dagestan
Dagestan
The Republic of Dagestan is a federal subject of Russia, located in the North Caucasus region. Its capital and the largest city is Makhachkala, located at the center of Dagestan on the Caspian Sea...
, a constituent republic of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
.
His main task was caring for refugees fleeing from fighting in neighboring Chechnya
Chechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
.
He was abducted
Kidnapping
In criminal law, kidnapping is the taking away or transportation of a person against that person's will, usually to hold the person in false imprisonment, a confinement without legal authority...
by three gunmen in Makhachkala
Makhachkala
-Twin towns/sister cities:Makhachkala is twinned with: Sfax, Tunisia Siping, China Spokane, United States Vladikavkaz, Russia Yalova, Turkey Ndola, Zambia-See also:*...
on August 12, 2002. To this day, the humanitarian group is not sure who abducted Erkel or why, but it does know that he was being shadowed by Russian security forces in the days before his disappearance.
On April 11, 2004, Erkel was free again and appeared to be in reasonably good health. Originally the Dutch government claimed that Erkel was rescued in a “special operation” conducted jointly by the Russian (Federal Security Service) FSB and local Dagestani police and that Arjan was slightly hurt in the "storming" of the hideout. The government eventually admitted that that was a lie and that they paid a 1 million euro
Euro
The euro is the official currency of the eurozone: 17 of the 27 member states of the European Union. It is also the currency used by the Institutions of the European Union. The eurozone consists of Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg,...
ransom
Ransom
Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or it can refer to the sum of money involved.In an early German law, a similar concept was called bad influence...
to free Erkel, but claimed that it didn't pay the ransom itself but on behalf of the organisation, claiming it was a loan
Loan
A loan is a type of debt. Like all debt instruments, a loan entails the redistribution of financial assets over time, between the lender and the borrower....
that MSF had orally promised to pay back. MSF refutes this and in June 2004 the Dutch government announced a lawsuit
Lawsuit
A lawsuit or "suit in law" is a civil action brought in a court of law in which a plaintiff, a party who claims to have incurred loss as a result of a defendant's actions, demands a legal or equitable remedy. The defendant is required to respond to the plaintiff's complaint...
.
This is the first time a national government has sued an aid agency.
MSF has suspended its operations in Chechnya
Chechnya
The Chechen Republic , commonly referred to as Chechnya , also spelled Chechnia or Chechenia, sometimes referred to as Ichkeria , is a federal subject of Russia . It is located in the southeastern part of Europe in the Northern Caucasus mountains. The capital of the republic is the city of Grozny...
several times over kidnappings of its personnel.
In March 2007 the Dutch government lost the case: MSF does not have to pay back the 770.000 euro the government has paid, and gets 45,000 euro back of the 230,000 euro it paid through the government. The government has appeal
Appeal
An appeal is a petition for review of a case that has been decided by a court of law. The petition is made to a higher court for the purpose of overturning the lower court's decision....
ed. The appeal was lost in February 2008.