We, the undersigned, hereby petition the Dutch government , especially the Prime Minister and the Minister of Justice, to grant the permanent residence status to Prof. Jose Maria Sison. It is a matter of justice that he be granted the residence permit in view of the following:
1. Prof. Sison has lived continuously for 23 years in the Netherlands lawfully and peacefully since 1987.
2. He is a political refugee as defined by article 1A of the Geneva convention. He was recognized as such by the Raad van State in 1992 and again in 1995, by the Dutch government in 1996 and by Rechtséénheidkamer in 1997.
3. It is established by the judgment of the European Court on 30 September 2009 that he has not been investigated, prosecuted or convicted for any act of terrorism and that the aforementioned Dutch court decisions cannot be used to hold him liable for such.
4. In view of the foregoing No. 3, the Dutch Ministry of Justice must grant permanent residence to Prof. Sison on the basis of its own admission on 14 May 2009 that Prof. Sison meets the criteria for amnesty/pardonregeling.
5. By virtue of the directive issued on April 2004 by the European Union (EU) Council, Prof. Sison should be granted permanent residence because a) he does not pose a danger to the security of a Member State, b) he has not been convicted of a serious crime, and c) he does not constitute a danger to the community of that Member State.
For more than two decades, Prof. Sison has suffered from false accusations, unjust persecution and inhumane treatment for his political beliefs and opinions. It is a matter of justice that he must be allowed to normalize his life and to enjoy and exercise his basic human rights and fundamental freedoms.
He must be allowed to practise his profession as a teacher of political science and contribute his best as chief political consultant of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines in peace negotiations with the Government of the Republic of the Philippines.
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