Bill Gates was not 'indicted' over Covid-19 vaccine activism

Published on November 19, 2024 at 17:37
5 min read
By Ivan FISCHER, Liesa PAUWELS, AFP Croatia, AFP Netherlands
Translation and adaptation Daniel GALGANO , AFP USA

A group of vaccine skeptics filed a civil lawsuit against Bill Gates and several government officials in the Netherlands, accusing them of misleading the public about the purported dangers of Covid-19 vaccines. However, claims that the billionaire founder of Microsoft has been "indicted" or faces charges in Europe are false -- the case is not a criminal proceeding and is still ongoing.

"Listen to the crowd CHEER as @RobertKennedyJr states that Bill Gates will have to go to trial in the Netherlands. 'He's been indicted in the Netherlands for lying to the public about the 'Covid Vaccine,'" says an October 24, 2024 X post from Liz Churchill, a self-described Canadian "conspiracy theorist" who has previously shared misinformation.

The post includes a clip of former presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. speaking at an October 23 campaign event for Donald Trump in the US state of Georgia, during which he falsely claimed Dutch officials had indicted Gates.

Screenshot from X taken November 18, 2024

Kennedy, whom President-elect Trump later nominated to serve as secretary of health and human services, also said Gates donated around $50 million to a group that backed Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 election to avoid similar charges in the United States.

The same claim has circulated elsewhere on X, Facebook, Instagram, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Rumble and Gettr.

Screenshot from Facebook taken November 19, 2024

Gates is frequently targeted by misinformation from anti-vaccine activists due to his vocal support for pandemic preparedness and the development of Covid-19 shots.

The latest claims are also false; Gates has not been found liable for anything related to vaccine safety in the Netherlands.

A keyword search revealed the claims stem from a case filed in civil court in Leeuwarden by seven Dutch citizens against 17 defendants -- including Gates, former prime minister Mark Rutte and the Dutch government.

The plaintiffs, whom local media describe as "a group of Corona skeptics," accuse Gates and the government of misleading them about the safety of Covid-19 vaccines and say they suffered physical and mental injury after they received the shot.

A spokesperson for the District Court of Northern Netherlands said the case is a private dispute.

"The case is not a criminal case, but a civil case, in which a number of plaintiffs have sued a number of other parties," the spokesperson said in an October 31 email.

Gates's attorneys challenged the suit because he does not live in the Netherlands, but the court found it has "international jurisdiction" to hear the case. The judge required Gates to pay 1,406 euros ($1,489) in legal fees as the losing party in the motion (archived here and here).

'No police van'

The case against Gates, which can at most result in damages for the plaintiffs, will be returned to the docket November 27.

Remme Verkerk, a law professor at Utrecht University (archived here), said that just because the court agreed to hear the case does not mean it has merit.

"You are allowed to start proceedings, and then the main rule in our legal system is that anyone may go to court," he said November 1.

Some posts claim Gates may be "extradited" to the Netherlands or compelled to "stand trial" there. However, Verkerk said Gates would likely not have to appear in court.

"I really don't see them issuing an order for Mr. Gates to necessarily be here. That's not how it works in civil cases," he said.

"There's no police van coming by to pick someone up for the hearing."

The District Court of Northern Netherlands spokesperson confirmed Gates does not have to attend court hearings in the country and can be represented by his attorney.

Case promotes conspiracy theory

The complaint also accuses Gates and his co-defendants of endorsing the "Great Reset agenda."

In June 2020, the World Economic Forum launched an initiative calling for a "Great Reset" and pushing countries to achieve the United Nations's sustainable development goals defined in Agenda 2030 (archived here and here).

Online, the move triggered a conspiracy theory that falsely accuses the global institutions of starting or using the Covid-19 pandemic as cover for plots to impose radical authoritarian policies.

Kennedy has also amplified false claims about the Great Reset on his social media channels.

AFP contacted Kennedy's presidential campaign for comment, but no response was forthcoming.

AFP has debunked other claims about the coronavirus pandemic here.