(AKI) - The European Union has placed the Dutch ' Hofstad Group ' and its nine members on the bloc's terrorism black list meaning all their financial assets are frozen and the group can no longer gain access to bank accounts or insurance in EU countries, Radio Netherlands reported on Friday. The move follows a request by the Dutch finance minister Gerrit Zalm.
The groupÂ’s financial assets were frozen in the Netherlands earlier this year when its nine members were finally jailed on terrorism charges. Mohammed Bouyeri, a Dutch Moroccan considered to be the Hofstadt group's leader, is serving a life-sentence for the November 2004 murder of Dutch film director Theo Van Gogh, who offended many Muslims with a short film that suggested Islam condoned violence against women. The EU's list includes another Dutch organisation, the al-Aqsa Foundation, which is suspected of channelling money to terrorist groups. |