THE HAGUE, 16/01/01 - Former UNESCO Ambassador M. Mourik has pressed charges against the father of Crown Prince Willem-Alexander's Argentinean girlfriend Maxima. As state secretary and later minister of agriculture in Argentina, Jorge Zorreguieta formed part of the notorious regime of General Videla.

Mourik accuses Zorreguieta with crimes against humanity and torture. The charges have been sent to the Board of Attorneys Generals, which will investigate the case before transferring it to the public prosecutor in Arnhem. Prosecution of crimes against humanity comes under article 8 of the Martial Law Act. In the Netherlands, only the Arnhem-based military court is authorized to deal with cases as the one Zorreguieta is now facing.

Mourik believes that the daughter of a war criminal could never marry the heir to the Dutch throne. The former UNESCO Ambassador has found legal support with attorney B. Bohler, who is in particular known for her role as counsellor for the Kurdish guerrilla leader Ocalan.