Several people have initiated a so-called article 12 procedure, because the Public Prosecution Service (OM) has previously decided not to prosecute rapper Akwasi. The interested parties want the case to be brought to court and submit their objection to the Amsterdam Court of Appeal.
According to Pieter Hollenberg, one of the people who filed a complaint, several people want to jointly participate in the procedure. A total of 44 people had reported the rapper because of his statements about Zwarte Piet.
Last week, the Public Prosecution announced that it would dismiss the case against Akwasi. The rapper had renounced the statement: “If I see a black pete in November, I personally kick him in the face.”
The OM previously called this statement “inflammatory” and punishable. But because he distanced himself from it, the case against him has not been pursued. This led to criticism, partly because one of the public prosecutors involved was on the board of the Meldpunt Discriminatie Regio Amsterdam together with the leader of the Kick Out Zwarte Piet group (KOZP).
An article 12 procedure ensures that the court must check whether the Public Prosecution Service should still prosecute. This is done during a closed session. The court cannot yet inform NU.nl when this hearing will take place.
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