{"id":3510,"date":"2024-06-18T13:17:55","date_gmt":"2024-06-18T11:17:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cms.elsc.support\/?p=3510"},"modified":"2025-04-14T12:44:41","modified_gmt":"2025-04-14T10:44:41","slug":"firing-of-it-specialist-from-gaza-who-condemned-israels-crimes-was-discrimination-dutch-human-rights-board-rules","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/elsc.support\/de\/firing-of-it-specialist-from-gaza-who-condemned-israels-crimes-was-discrimination-dutch-human-rights-board-rules\/","title":{"rendered":"Dutch Human Rights Board: Firing of IT Specialist from Gaza who Condemned Israel’s Crimes was Discrimination"},"content":{"rendered":"

PRESS RELEASE – DUTCH BELOW<\/strong>

Amsterdam, 18 June 2024<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

On June 11, 2024, the Human Rights Board, a state-sanctioned institution in the Netherlands that rules on discrimination cases, ruled that Dutch software company Speakap B.V. discriminated on the basis of political affiliation when it fired N.A.<\/strong> for posts on LinkedIn condemning Israel for committing genocide and war crimes against Palestinians in Gaza. A case for back payment is still pending with the Court of Amsterdam.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Ruling<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Board ruled<\/a> that Speakap directly discriminated on the basis of political affiliation <\/strong>because, according to the termination letter, it fired N.A. because of discomfort that his prospective colleagues would experience at the “strong personal views” he expressed on LinkedIn. The Board agrees with N.A. that \u201cviews\u201d refer to his posts about Gaza on LinkedIn. In the eyes of the Board, the company could not prove that it did not discriminate. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

A huge impact on N.A.\u2019s life<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

N.A. is from Gaza. Several of his relatives and friends had been killed by Israeli attacks at the time of his firing; more have since been killed. His wife and family are still stuck there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speakap fired N.A. during his probationary period, just days after hiring him as a software developer. The company went ahead with his dismissal, even though he had expressed a willingness to engage in conversation about his posts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forced to apply for asylum<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the time of his firing, N.A. had already given up his job and apartment in Turkey and was forced to fly to the Netherlands to apply for asylum there.  Because of Speakap\u2019s unfair dismissal of N.A., his process to get a residence permit in the Netherlands has been highly impacted, which seriously compromises N.A.’s ability to find a new job in the Netherlands and evacuate his family from Gaza.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

N.A. states<\/strong> the following:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

No one should endure such enormous consequences for practicing their legal and internationally recognized right to free speech. No one should be concerned about their ability to aid themselves, their families and their children when standing against what they perceive to be very obviously an immoral, inhumane treatment of others<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u015eeyma<\/strong> Arikan, N.A.\u2019s lawyer<\/strong>, says:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

The Board accepts as common knowledge that the convictions of N.A. are widely shared by the public, in particular by people of Palestinian descent. Additionally, the Board notes that the situation pertaining to the human rights of the inhabitants of Palestinian areas has drastically worsened<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Ita\u00ef van de Wal, legal officer at the European Legal Support Center<\/strong>, says:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

This is an important victory, both because it is sadly no isolated case and because this moment is so crucial for the Palestinian people. It shows that nobody should be punished for denouncing the genocide and crimes against humanity committed against Palestinians by Israel.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Zakaria Boufangacha, vice chair of the largest Dutch labor union federation, FNV<\/strong>, adds:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

The union\u2019s position is that we need to fight prohibited discrimination on the basis of political conviction playing a role in terminating employment as much as possible. It hopes that this ruling by the Board contributes to preventing employees being discouraged from exercising their right to freedom of speech<\/em>.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Read the decision of the Human Rights Board here.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

College voor de Rechten van de Mens: ontslag IT specialist uit Gaza die misdaden van Isra\u00ebl veroordeelde was discriminatie.<\/strong> <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Op 11 juni oordeelde het College voor de Rechten van de Mens dat het Nederlandse softwarebedrijf Speakap B.V. discrimineerde op basis van politieke overtuiging<\/strong> toen zij N.A. ontsloeg wegens posts op LinkedIn waarin hij Isra\u00ebl veroordeelt voor het plegen van genocide en oorlogsmisdaden tegen Palestijnen in Gaza. Een loonvorderingsprocedure ligt nog voor bij de Rechtbank van Amsterdam. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Uitspraak<\/strong> <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Het College oordeelt<\/a> dat Speakap direct onderscheid maakte op basis van politieke overtuiging<\/strong> omdat het, volgens de ontslagbrief, N.A. ontsloeg vanwege ongemak dat zijn aanstaande collega\u2019s zouden ervaren bij de \u201csterke persoonlijke opvattingen\u201d die hij uitte op LinkedIn. Het College is het met N.A. eens dat \u201copvattingen\u201d verwijst naar zijn posts over Gaza op LinkedIn. Het bedrijf kon volgens het College niet aannemelijk maken dat het geen verboden onderscheid maakte.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Grote impact<\/strong> <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

N.A. komt zelf uit Gaza. Meerdere van zijn familieleden en vrienden zijn ten tijde van zijn ontslag gedood door Isra\u00eblische aanvallen, inmiddels zijn dat er meer. Zijn vrouw en familie zitten daar nog altijd vast. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Speakap ontsloeg N.A. in zijn proeftijd, enkele dagen na hem aangenomen te hebben als softwareontwikkelaar. Dit ondanks het feit dat hij zich voor zijn ontslag bereid toonde om over zijn posts in gesprek te gaan met het bedrijf en om eventueel ongemak weg te nemen door posts te verwijderen die dat zouden veroorzaken.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gedwongen asielaanvraag<\/strong> <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Op dat moment had N.A. zijn baan en appartement in Turkije al opgezegd en zag hij zich gedwongen om alsnog naar Nederland te vliegen om hier asiel aan te vragen. Als Speakap hem later had ontslagen had hij door een geldige verblijfsvergunning nog een kans gehad om ander werk te zoeken in Nederland en zijn familie uit Gaza te evacueren.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

QUOTES<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n

N.A. <\/strong>zelf zegt het volgende over het oordeel<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Niemand zou zulke enorme gevolgen moeten doorstaan omdat ze hun recht op vrijheid van meningsuiting gebruiken. Niemand zou bang moeten zijn om voor zichzelf, hun familie of hun kinderen op te komen, of om op te staan tegen wat die ziet als de overduidelijke immorele en onmenselijke behandeling van anderen.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

 \u015eeyma Arikan<\/strong>, Advocaat N.A.:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Het College neemt als feit van algemene bekendheid aan dat de opvattingen van cli\u00ebnt door velen wordt gedragen, in het bijzonder door mensen van Palestijnse afkomst.  Verder merkt het College op dat de mensenrechtelijke situatie van de inwoners van Palestijnse gebieden, met name in Gaza, drastisch is verslechterd.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Ita\u00ef van de Wal<\/strong>, juridisch medewerker, European Legal Support Center:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Dit is een belangrijke overwinning \u00e9n omdat dit helaas geen op zichzelf staan incident is \u00e9n omdat dit moment cruciaal is voor Palestijnen. Niemand zou straf moeten krijgen omdat ze zich uitspreken tegen de genocide en misdaden tegen de menselijkheid die Isra\u00ebl pleegt tegen de Palestijnen.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Zakaria Boufangacha<\/strong>, vicevoorzitter FNV, said:  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Wat FNV betreft dient verboden onderscheid op grond van politieke gezindheid bij het be\u00ebindigen van een arbeidsovereenkomst zoveel mogelijk bestreden te worden. Zij hoopt dan ook dat dit oordeel van het College ertoe bijdraagt dat werknemers niet ontmoedigd worden om in de toekomst gebruik te maken van hun vrijheid van meningsuiting.<\/em> <\/p>\n<\/blockquote>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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