BELGIUM FREEZES PKK-ASSOCIATED ROJ-TV'S ASSETS

UNCLAS BRUSSELS 000292 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EFIN ETTC PTER BE TU SUBJECT: BELGIUM FREEZES PKK-ASSOCIATED ROJ-TV'S ASSETS REF: A. SADLIKAR-VAN HABBERNEY E-MAIL ¶B. 2/20/08 ¶1. (U) Ref e-mail relayed a Turkish press report that "PKK mouthpiece" Roj TV has been levied a heavy tax fine by Belgian authorities. The press report asserted that Roj TV officials in Belgium "claimed that Turkey's pressure on the U.S. and certain EU countries led to the Belgian decision to levy the fine." ¶2. (SBU) Post has confirmed that the corporate tax division of the Belgian Ministry of Finance has levied a 4.1 million euro ($6 million) fine on Roj-TV. The fine is due before the end of February. Since the local finance official believed Roj-TV would be unable to pay the fine, the official ordered Roj-TV's assets with Fortis Bank and ING Bank frozen. ¶3. (SBU) Another source in the Finance Ministry stated that freezing assets in such a circumstance would be mandatory on any finance ministry official. However, the magnitude of the fine likely indicated the approval of higher officials within the Belgian Ministry of the Interior or within the senior levels of the Belgian judicial police force. ¶4. (SBU) COMMENT: This welcome move by the Belgian government shows that, after sustained pressure from the U.S. on confronting terrorism in general, Belgian authorities are now using whatever resources and tools it has at its disposal to restrict the operations of terrorist and terrorist-affiliated organizations in Belgium. .