Dutch PM apologizes for 250 years of slavery in Netherlands’ past

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte speaks on the National Archives in The Hague, on December 19, 2022 throughout which he formally apologized for 250 years of the Netherlands’ involvement in slavery, calling it a criminal offense towards humanity. Robin van Lonkhuijsen/ ANP/ AFP

THE HAGUE — Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte on Monday formally apologized for 250 years of the Netherlands’ involvement in slavery, calling it a criminal offense towards humanity.

“Today on behalf of the Dutch government, I apologize for the past actions of the Dutch state,” Rutte stated in a speech in The Hague. — Agence France-Presse