On Monday 23 August, Minister of Foreign Affairs Bernard Bot and Thana Duangratana, the Thai ambassador to the Netherlands, signed a treaty on the exchange of individuals serving prison sentences. Dutch nationals sentenced in Thailand will now be able to serve the rest of their time in the Netherlands, and vice versa. The treaty only applies once an individual has been through the entire legal process.
Now that the treaty has been signed, the Council of State will issue recommendations on it and it will be presented to both houses of parliament for tacit approval. The amount of time needed for this procedure will determine when the treaty enters into force. Article 11 of the treaty states that it will take effect when all the formalities relating to ratification have been completed.
For more information about the signing ceremony, contact Bart Jochems, Information and Communication Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (tel. +31 70 348 6331). For information about the treaty, contact Martin Bruinsma, Information Department, Ministry of Justice (tel. +31 70 370 6266).
|