Engel is said to have posted “incendiary corona-related messages” on social media for a long period of time. After voting for the municipal elections in Rotterdam, he was arrested on the street.
The Public Prosecution Service decided to have him arrested on the basis of the first results of an exploratory investigation into his actions. That investigation was started in January by the Rotterdam police following a mass complaint against Engel. Because the investigation is still ongoing, the Public Prosecution Service will not make any further announcements.
Collective declaration
At the end of last year, a collective declaration, which was signed by 22,581 people, was filed against Engel at the Public Prosecution Service in Rotterdam. They believe that Engel is guilty of incitement, spreading medical disinformation, fraud, statements with a terrorist intent and threats. According to Engel, the report is false and does not contain any criminal offenses.
Apart from this case, Engel will stand before the police judge in The Hague on Wednesday 30 March. He will then face charges for ignoring a police order during a demonstration in The Hague on October 10, 2020. Engel must therefore answer for incitement via Facebook. He called for officers to be arrested under civilian arrest. He did that during a live stream.