Top Qs
Timeline
Chat
Perspective
The Cover-up General
Non-fiction thriller by Edwin F. Giltay From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Remove ads
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.[1][2] At the root of it all was the infamous Srebrenica Massacre depicting war crimes, which was misdeveloped by a navy photo laboratory.[3]
 | A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject. (May 2019) |
Remove ads
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.[4] Subsequently, the book was banned by a district court.[5] Giltay was also prohibited to talk about the contents of The Cover-up General in public.[5]
Book ban overturned
In 2016 however, the book ban was overturned by the Court of Appeal in The Hague.[6] It ruled the accuracy of the publication is not in doubt and affirmed its importance for the public debate on the Srebrenica drama.[6] The Dutch Ministry of Defence, which had expressed doubts regarding the book’s contents, refrained from commenting on the verdict.[7]
Extended edition
An extended edition of The Cover-up General was published later that same year.[8] In their lawsuit against the Netherlands, the Mothers of Srebrenica use the book as supporting evidence.[9] It backs their notion of the Dutch military obscuring proof regarding the 1995 genocide,[9] 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.[10] This restriction on freedom of the press was condemned by journalists and politicians alike.[11] Despite extensive media coverage and Parliamentary questions,[12] many elements raised in the book have yet to be addressed.[7]
References
External links
Wikiwand - on
Seamless Wikipedia browsing. On steroids.
Remove ads