AMSTERDAM: A Dutch court’s ruling that it has jurisdiction to hear civil claims against Bill Gates related to COVID vaccines has been misrepresented on social media as an indictment, western media reported.
Posts circulating online reference the court decision from October 16, which appears on a blog site, but neither the document nor the ruling mentions any criminal charges against Gates. One Facebook post claimed, “Bill Gates indicted and ordered to stand trial in the Netherlands for misleading the public about COVID-19 vaccines.” This narrative originates from remarks made by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. during a rally for Donald Trump in Georgia on October 23, where he claimed that Gates was “indicted in the Netherlands for lying to the public about the COVID vaccine.”
However, a spokesperson for the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation confirmed via email that Gates has not been indicted in the Netherlands. The claims refer to a civil case filed by seven Dutch plaintiffs, who allege that Gates and others misled them regarding the safety and effectiveness of COVID vaccines, as detailed in the jurisdiction decision document.
According to Reuters news agency, Gates’ attorneys challenged the Dutch court’s jurisdiction, noting that he does not live in the Netherlands. The plaintiffs contended that this jurisdiction claim should be dismissed. The official ruling, available on the court’s website in Dutch, states that the court does have international jurisdiction over the “American co-defendant,” referred to as “X.”
The English version of the document shared online, which names Gates, aligns with the court’s official decision. According to a spokesperson for the Court of Northern Netherlands, the ruling pertains to Gates. Since the court has jurisdiction over one of the defendants and the case involves alleged unlawful acts by a group that includes Gates, the court also has jurisdiction over him, citing the Dutch Code of Civil Procedure. The court dismissed Gates’ objection and ordered him to cover the associated legal costs, allowing the main case to proceed.
Reuters news agency reported that the news report was false. It added that Bill Gates wasn’t indicted in the Netherlands. Social media posts refer to a Dutch court decision affirming its jurisdiction to hear civil claims against him.
