Gazan student files complaint against lecturer in Maastricht
The student accuses associate professor Amanda Kluveld of libel and reputational damage.
Listen to this article
There is no audio version yet. Request one and an AI voice will read the article aloud.
Read by an AI voice.
A Palestinian student at Maastricht University has filed a complaint against associate professor Amanda Kluveld. According to his legal support organisation, she spread inaccurate claims about his involvement in the Hamas attack of 7 October 2023.
The complaint was announced on 12 November by the European Legal Support Center, which is assisting the student. The organisation says the lecturer conducted a campaign against the student on social media and wrongly linked him to terrorism. According to the organisation, the complaint concerns, among other things, libel, defamation and the sharing of personal data.
The case follows an earlier controversy at the university. According to Maastricht University, the student was temporarily suspended at the end of September after a video on Instagram raised questions about possible sympathy for or involvement in the attack of 7 October 2023. On 2 October, Maastricht University reported that the Public Prosecution Service had found no criminal offences, including participation in an attack, glorifying terrorism or inciting it.
The university said at the time that it has no investigative powers and wanted to discuss with the student how he could resume his studies in a safe environment. The new complaint does not mean that the Public Prosecution Service will open an investigation or that either party is guilty. It is for the Public Prosecution Service to assess whether the complaint warrants prosecution.
The ELSC says the lecturer misrepresented the meaning of an Arabic statement in the video. That is the organisation’s position and has not been independently established in the sources consulted. According to the available sources, the lecturer had previously herself reported threatening remarks; it has also not been established that these constituted a criminal offence.
The issue raises the question of how universities can protect students from threats and reputational damage while also dealing carefully with reports of possible security risks. The Public Prosecution Service’s earlier decision makes clear that suspicion and criminal involvement are not the same thing. It remains unclear whether the new complaint will lead to a formal investigation.
Also show where in Europe and in the world
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- A student has filed a complaint against an associate professor.
- The Public Prosecution Service previously found no criminal offences relating to the student’s video.
- The new complaint, in itself, says nothing about guilt or prosecution.
Left
Arguments Emphasises that students from vulnerable groups need protection from public accusations and that universities must deal carefully with differences in power.
Values Equal treatment, protection from discrimination and academic freedom.
Consequences Calls for an independent investigation into public accusations and harm to the student.
Centre
Arguments Emphasises that both the safety of students and staff and careful establishment of the facts must be guaranteed.
Values The rule of law, the right to be heard and institutional responsibility.
Consequences Advocates a transparent procedure without prejudging the outcome.
Right
Arguments Emphasises that universities must seriously investigate signs of possible sympathy for terrorism and safeguard the safety of Jewish and Israeli students.
Values Security, combating antisemitism and protecting the rule of law.
Consequences Warns that too quickly dismissing suspicions or exercising restraint could damage confidence in security procedures.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The complaint on 12 November and the Public Prosecution Service’s earlier decision can be found directly in public sources. The text attributes the disputed allegations to the organisation involved and does not present them as established facts.
- confirmed The student filed a complaint against Amanda Kluveld on 12 November. — Reported by the European Legal Support Center. source
- confirmed The Public Prosecution Service previously found no criminal offences relating to the Instagram video. — Maastricht University refers to the Public Prosecution Service’s decision of 2 October. source
- uncertain The new complaint automatically leads to prosecution. — No decision by the Public Prosecution Service on this was found; the text does not say this. source
Editor's note
The complaint and the Public Prosecution Service’s earlier decision have been confirmed. The allegations by the student and his support organisation have not been independently established; there is no information about a decision by the Public Prosecution Service on the new complaint.Sources
- Palestinian Student at Maastricht University Files a Criminal Complaint Against Academic for Smearing — European Legal Support Center
- No prosecution of student over Instagram post — Maastricht University
More on this in Dutch media
- NU.nl — „universiteit maastricht”
- De Telegraaf — „universiteit maastricht”
- AD — „universiteit maastricht”