Jaitson Singh, a 77-year-old Dutch national who has been incarcerated in the US for 38 years, is likely to be released after which he may go to the Netherlands. Minister of Legal Protection Weirwind writes to the House of Representatives that American experts have given favorable advice for his release.

Suriname-born Singh was sentenced to 56 years in prison in 1986 for ordering the murder of his wife and daughter. He has always refused and there are indications that he was wrongfully convicted.

Relatives in the Netherlands have been campaigning for some time for Singh to be freed or serve the rest of his sentence in the Netherlands due to his poor health. His lawyer sued the Dutch government last year to achieve this. But the judge dismissed the case. Singh was ineligible for extradition because he had not lived in the Netherlands for more than five years when he was arrested.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives passed a resolution calling on the Cabinet to do everything possible to bring Singh to the Netherlands.

Minister Weirwind now writes to the House as an American Parole Board A hearing on Singh’s mercy plea was held in April. Relatives of the accused and the victims were present. The minister has already announced his support for the mercy plea and there is no risk of a repeat. The Parole Board A favorable recommendation has been made.

That means Singh can be paroled in the community. Weirwind pointed out in his letter that resolution Parole Board is not over yet. There is a maximum review period of 120 days during which the judgment is reassessed as legal. After that, the California governor has 30 days to make a final decision.