| ID: 08BRUSSELS292 Dokument dato: 2008-02-22 15:17:00 Release dato: 2011-02-03 07:00:00 Kilde: Embassy Brussels header: UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY VZCZCXRO4886 PP RUEHAG RUEHDF RUEHIK RUEHLZ RUEHROV DE RUEHBS #0292 0531517 ZNR UUUUU ZZH P 221517Z FEB 08 FM AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7047 INFO RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES COLLECTIVE RUEHAK/AMEMBASSY ANKARA 0636 RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHDC RUEATRS/DEPT OF TREASURY WASHDC Hovedtekst: UNCLAS BRUSSELS 000292 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EFIN, ETTC, PTER, BE, TU SUBJECT: BELGIUM FREEZES PKK-ASSOCIATED ROJ-TVīS ASSETS REF: A. SADLIKAR-VAN HABBERNEY E-MAIL B. 2/20/08 1. (U) Ref e-mail relayed a Turkish press report that "PKK mouthpiece" Roj TV has been levied a heavy tax fine by Belgian authorities. The press report asserted that Roj TV officials in Belgium "claimed that Turkeyīs pressure on the U.S. and certain EU countries led to the Belgian decision to levy the fine." 2. (SBU) Post has confirmed that the corporate tax division of the Belgian Ministry of Finance has levied a 4.1 million euro ($6 million) fine on Roj-TV. The fine is due before the end of February. Since the local finance official believed Roj-TV would be unable to pay the fine, the official ordered Roj-TVīs assets with Fortis Bank and ING Bank frozen. 3. (SBU) Another source in the Finance Ministry stated that freezing assets in such a circumstance would be mandatory on any finance ministry official. However, the magnitude of the fine likely indicated the approval of higher officials within the Belgian Ministry of the Interior or within the senior levels of the Belgian judicial police force. 4. (SBU) COMMENT: This welcome move by the Belgian government shows that, after sustained pressure from the U.S. on confronting terrorism in general, Belgian authorities are now using whatever resources and tools it has at its disposal to restrict the operations of terrorist and terrorist-affiliated organizations in Belgium. |