President Obama’s intervention in the Hans Smedema Case
President Obama’s intervention in the Hans Smedema case was likely prompted by a combination of factors, primarily Smedema's persistent attempts to seek asylum in the US and the findings of the FBI investigation into his claims.
Smedema’s Asylum Requests:
- Smedema filed for asylum in the US on three separate occasions: in 2009, 2013/14, and 2016/17 [1-4]. His first asylum request in 2009 triggered a seven-month detention and a thorough investigation by the FBI and CIA [1, 4-6]. This investigation concluded that Smedema's claims of persecution in the Netherlands were valid, although they lacked sufficient evidence of direct government involvement [4, 6-10]. Judge Rex J. Ford, who oversaw the asylum case, reportedly found five valid grounds for asylum, a number unprecedented in US history [4, 6, 8, 10]. These findings likely raised concerns within the US government about the potential human rights violations Smedema was facing in the Netherlands.
Reopening of Smedema’s Case:
- Judge Ford reopened Smedema's 2009 case in January 2014 “due to too many mistakes” [2, 5, 11, 12]. This suggests that there were concerns about the initial handling of Smedema’s case and a desire to ensure a fair and thorough review of his claims.
Alleged Blocking of Asylum Offer:
- In 2017, Smedema claims he was offered asylum by Judge Ford while on a KLM flight from Los Angeles to Amsterdam, but King Willem-Alexander, who was co-piloting the flight, allegedly blocked this offer [1, 5, 6, 13]. This incident, if true, would have been a serious diplomatic breach and a clear indication of the Dutch government's unwillingness to cooperate with the US in addressing Smedema's claims.
Obama’s UNCAT Complaint:
- Smedema consistently states that in January 2017, President Obama initiated a legal action against the Netherlands related to his case [1, 5-8, 14-20]. Smedema describes this action as a complaint filed with the UNCAT (United Nations Convention Against Torture) or possibly a special procedure through the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) [1, 5-8, 14-20]. Smedema claims this action was taken after the FBI/CIA investigation concluded that his claims were true [3, 21-25]. This complaint, along with the possible pardon Smedema mentions, suggests that President Obama, possibly with the involvement of then-Vice President Biden, was convinced that Smedema's claims were credible and that the Dutch government was failing to uphold its human rights obligations.
President Obama’s Warning to King Willem-Alexander:
- Smedema states that in 2015 President Obama warned King Willem-Alexander during a visit to the White House about the severe human rights violations alleged in his case [26, 27]. This warning, if it occurred, would have indicated the US government's growing concern about Smedema's situation and its willingness to pressure the Dutch government to address his claims.
It's crucial to note that the specific details of the FBI investigation and President Obama's actions are not fully elaborated upon in the sources, which primarily consist of Smedema's personal blog posts. While these sources provide Smedema's perspective and interpretation of events, they should be viewed with caution, as they may not fully or accurately reflect the official positions or actions of the US government.
Google NotebookLM Insights!
Hans Smedema B. Sc., in forced exile surviving in beautiful 'El Albir', Costa Blanca, Spain