Dutch diplomat beaten at his apartment in Moscow
Print Edition
A Dutch diplomat was beaten up by two unidentified men who barged into his apartment in central Moscow, an attack that threatened to further sour relations between the two countries following the arrest of a Russian diplomat in the Netherlands. Russia was quick to express its regrets yesterday.
The Investigative Committee said in a statement that it was investigating the attack on the diplomat, who was pushed to the floor and tied up with tape.
Dutch Foreign Minister Frans Timmermans said in a post on his Facebook page that the diplomat was slightly injured in the assault on Tuesday night. Timmermans said he had summoned the Russian ambassador for an explanation.
“Our people have to be able to work safely, and I want guarantees that the Russian authorities will accept their responsibilities on that point,” he wrote.
The Russian Foreign Ministry identified the Dutch diplomat as Onno Elderenbosch, the deputy chief of mission at the Moscow embassy. “In Moscow we express our regrets in connection with the deplorable incident,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said in a statement.
He said Russian investigators would do everything possible to find those responsible.
The arrest of Russian diplomat Dmitry Borodin in The Hague on October 5 caused outrage in Moscow. Timmerman apologized to Russia, but he also defended the actions of the police who arrested Borodin.
Dutch state broadcaster NOS reported that police traced a car involved in an accident that day to Borodin’s home, and neighbors said they were worried for the safety of the children inside.
The incidents involving the Russian and Dutch diplomats come at a time of growing tensions between the two countries over Russia’s seizure of a Dutch-flagged Greenpeace ship and Russia’s anti-gay laws.
Russia’s state television showed photos obtained by the news website Lifenews that it said were taken inside the Dutch diplomat’s apartment, including one showing a heart written in lipstick on a mirror with the Russian letters LGBT beneath it. LGBT stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender.
The Dutch have been outspoken in their criticism of Russia’s anti-gay policies. In April, the Amsterdam mayor expressed his opposition by declining to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to the Netherlands.
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