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The Cover-up General

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Non-fiction thriller by Edwin F. Giltay
The Cover-up General
First edition cover
AuthorEdwin F. Giltay
Original titleDe doofpotgeneraal
LanguageDutch
SubjectMilitary intelligence
GenreNon-fiction thriller
Set inDelft and The Hague
Published
  • 1st edition: 26 Nov 2014
  • (censored: 14 Dec 2015)
  • (book ban lifted: 12 Apr 2016)
  • 2nd edition: 16 Sep 2016
PublisherSpeakEasy Publisher & Agency, De Blauwe Tijger
Publication placeThe Netherlands
Media typePrint (paperback)
Pages263 (2nd edition)
ISBN978-94-92161-21-5
OCLC960019892

The Cover-up General is a non-fiction thriller by Dutch author Edwin F. Giltay, first published in 2014. The book describes an espionage scandal he witnessed first-hand, within military intelligence of the Armed forces of the Netherlands. At the root of it all was the infamous Srebrenica Massacre depicting war crimes, which was misdeveloped by a navy photo laboratory.

Publication prohibited

A year after its publication, a former secret service agent filed a lawsuit against the author. She claimed she was depicted unjustly in the publication and demanded it to be censored. Subsequently, the book was banned by a district court. Giltay was also prohibited to talk about the contents of The Cover-up General in public.

Book ban overturned

In 2016 however, the book ban was overturned by the Court of Appeal in The Hague. It ruled the accuracy of the publication is not in doubt and affirmed its importance for the public debate on the Srebrenica drama. The Dutch Ministry of Defence, which had expressed doubts regarding the book’s contents, refrained from commenting on the verdict.

Extended edition

An extended edition of The Cover-up General was published later that same year. In their lawsuit against the Netherlands, the Mothers of Srebrenica use the book as supporting evidence. It backs their notion of the Dutch military obscuring proof regarding the 1995 genocide, whose aftermath still leaves questions unanswered.

Press freedom

The banning of The Cover-up General was rather unique, as books are hardly ever prohibited in The Netherlands. This restriction on freedom of the press was condemned by journalists and politicians alike. Despite extensive media coverage and Parliamentary questions, many elements raised in the book have yet to be addressed.

References

  1. Agić, Jasmin (21 Jul 2018). "Holandija prikrila fotografije mrtvih Bošnjaka iz Srebrenice" [The Netherlands concealed photos of dead Srebrenica Bosniaks]. Al Jazeera Balkans (in Serbo-Croatian). Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  2. "Signalementen" [Details]. Volkskrant (in Dutch). 22 Oct 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  3. Husejnović, Alosman (30 Sep 2016). "Zataškane srebreničke fotorolne štite holandske veterane da bi u miru popili čašu piva!" [Srebrenica photo roll withheld so Dutch veterans can drink beer in peace!]. Dnevni Avaz (in Bosnian). Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  4. De Winter, Brenno (4 Aug 2015). "Ex-inlichtingenmedewerker wil verbod boek 'fotorolletje Srebrenica'" [Former intelligence officer wants to ban book on Srebrenica photo roll]. NU.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  5. ^ ECLI:NL:RBDHA:2015:15050 (District court The Hague, 11 Dec 2015).
  6. ^ ECLI:NL:GHDHA:2016:870 (Court of Appeal The Hague, 12 Apr 2016).
  7. ^ Stam, Jeroen (Summer 2018). "Dutch Defence Ministry keeps bumbling" (PDF). Forum of EthnoGeoPolitics. 6 (1): 51–53. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  8. Van der Veen, Dick (24 Nov 2016). "Geheime diensten en legertop op de pijnbank" [Secret services and army brass chastised]. Hebban (in Dutch). Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  9. ^ "Memorie van grieven van de Moeders van Srebrenica tegen de Staat der Nederlanden" [Grounds of appeal of the Mothers of Srebrenica against the Dutch State] (PDF) (in Dutch). 7 Jul 2015. pp. 23 & 25. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  10. Kremenović, Mladen (27 Jul 2017). "Холандија одговорна за смрт око три стотине Сребреничана" [Holland responsible for the death of about 300 Srebrenica victims]. Politika (in Serbian).
  11. Božinovska, Žana (28 Dec 2015). "Холандскиот суд забранил книга за Сребреница по барање на бивша шпионка" [Dutch court bans Srebrenica book on request of former spy]. Dnevnik (in Macedonian). pp. 1–3.
  12. "Klokkenluider Edwin Giltay vecht tegen Defensie voor eerherstel" [Whistle blower Edwin Giltay fights against the Armed forces for rehabilitation] (in Dutch). SBS 6. 16 Sep 2017. Retrieved 2 May 2019.

External links

The Cover-up General — Edwin F. Giltay

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