A man who called for "border monitoring by citizens" receives a six-week prison sentence
A Dutch activist who called for “citizen border controls” has been sentenced to six weeks in prison, with one month suspended, after organizing illegal vehicle checks along the German border last year.
Jan H., 54, from Assen, was convicted on Monday for incitement after urging people on social media to guard the borders at night. In June, he posted messages claiming that German police were secretly transporting asylum seekers across the border into the Netherlands using vans and helicopters. He publicly asked who was willing to patrol the border areas.
Soon after his posts, groups of citizens traveled to border locations including Ter Apel and Sellingen, where they stopped and checked vehicles entering the country. The actions sparked national debate and raised concerns about vigilantism and public order.
According to the police judge in Assen, Jan H. “crossed the line.” The court ruled that several of his messages amounted to direct calls to action and constituted incitement, regardless of whether the civilian border checks actually took place. Prosecutors had also requested a social media ban, but the judge rejected that demand, stating he should remain free to express his views within the limits of the law.
Jan H. has previously received two community service sentences over inflammatory social media posts criticizing Dutch asylum policy, coronavirus measures, and livestock reduction plans. His online activism has repeatedly drawn legal scrutiny.
Civilian border controls are illegal in the Netherlands and remain the exclusive responsibility of the Koninklijke Marechaussee. The force has been carrying out official border checks since late 2024 in an effort to reduce the influx of asylum seekers into the country.