A Dutch court ruled on Wednesday that billionaire philanthropist and vaccine advocate Bill Gates must stand trial in the Netherlands for allegedly misleading the public about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines during the pandemic.
According to reports, the case was brought by seven plaintiffs who claim to have suffered injuries from the vaccines. They filed the lawsuit against Gates, former Dutch Prime Minister and current NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla, members of the Dutch government’s COVID-19 Outbreak Management Team, and the Dutch state.
Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reported that the lawsuit, filed last year, accuses Gates of playing a prominent role in promoting experimental COVID-19 vaccines. The plaintiffs allege that Gates, through his involvement with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the World Economic Forum, pursued an agenda known as “The Great Reset,” aimed at using the pandemic as a pretext for broad societal changes.
The plaintiffs argue that the vaccines were promoted despite known safety risks and that they were deceived into receiving injections that caused severe physical and mental harm. They further claim Gates misrepresented the effectiveness of the vaccines by suggesting they would prevent transmission, illness, and eliminate the need for masks. One of the original seven plaintiffs has reportedly passed away since the lawsuit was filed, leaving six others to continue the case.
The court rejected Gates’ request to dismiss the case on jurisdictional grounds, despite his status as an American citizen. The court also ordered Gates to pay the plaintiffs’ legal fees of €1,406 ($1,518) within 14 days to avoid additional penalties.
A new hearing has been scheduled for November 27, 2024.
In previous statements, Gates acknowledged the uncertainties around vaccine development. In a 2020 article, he noted, “We aren’t sure which vaccines will be the most effective yet, and each requires unique technology to make. That means nations need to invest in many different kinds of manufacturing facilities now, knowing that some will never be used.”
The plaintiffs argue that Gates’ involvement in the pandemic response, coupled with his public statements, misled people into trusting vaccines that they now say caused lasting harm.