The Hollander Arian Erkel, who worked for the Swiss mission of Doctors Without borders, was taken prisoner in August 2002 in the Dagestan capital, the city of Makhachkala. According to the local law enforcement bodies, he was kept in the village of Balakhani of Untsukulsky district. Mr. Erkel spent 20 months in captivity. All that period Novaya Gazeta investigated the circumstances of the kidnapping and took measures for the release. We believed that people of the recently killed deputy of the People’s Assembly of Dagestan, Gazimagomed Magomedov, had been involved in that case. Erkel was freed only in April 2004. Obviously, that release was not done for free. Immediately before the discharge, the Swiss mission of Doctors Without Borders passed about 1 million euros to the vets of Russian foreign intelligence service. That was about ransom allegedly paid to the kidnappers. It is not known for sure where that money went in reality – to the gang of kidnappers or to “liberators”.        

Afterwards, however, the question arose of returning the money, as a significant part of the amount mentioned was taken by Doctors Without Borders from the Dutch government. The “Doctors” attempted to get an account from the intelligence service vets about how the money had been spent, but they failed. As a result, not getting the money back or any account given, the Dutch government suited the Doctors Without Borders.  

Court proceedings lasted over 4 years. The other day, the supreme Dutch court decided finally that Doctors Without Borders and the Dutch government are to pay at halves.   

It remains unclear how the Dutch government is supposed to explain such an expense to the taxpayers. It is known that the civilized world does not pay to terrorists. On the other hand, the matter was about the life and freedom of a Dutch citizen. In such a situation, the Dutch people is likely to support its own government.