These covert investigations began in late 2021, when at least 10 Dutch municipalities hired a private research firm (NTA)—with funding from the National Coordinator for Security and Counterterrorism (NCTV)—to surveil Muslim mosques and related organizations without informing them.
The secret NTA report, which collected personal and religious details about mosque members, was compiled without their knowledge or consent, and shared with security agencies before the communities even knew of its existence.
The court ordered the municipality to provide Taubah mosque with documents such as emails and invoices related to the investigation, while deferring access to the classified NTA report to a future administrative judge ruling on secrecy.
Mosque Taubah, supported by PILP and Simmons & Simmons, argues that the secret surveillance violated rights to privacy, freedom of religion, and association, and constitutes discriminatory treatment of Muslims.
This case is seen as the first judicial verdict in a broader series of such covert investigations in Dutch cities like Almere, Delft and Veenendaal, highlighting nationwide concerns over Islamophobia and state overreach.
The ruling represents a critical acknowledgment that undisclosed surveillance based on religion is illegal, and infringes fundamental human rights.
It paves the way for affected Muslim organizations to seek accountability and transparency, and sets a precedent for legal recourse across municipalities.
The case underscores broader issues of institutional bias and stigmatization of Muslim communities in the Netherlands.
