The Netherlands
The Midden-Nederland Court sentenced two self-proclaimed “sovereign citizens” to prison for threatening and extorting police officers and a bailiff. Roeland M. (53) received a one-year sentence, with six months suspended, while Paolo P. (54) got six months, with three suspended. Both have a three-year probation period.
M. was also convicted of incitement and making terrorist threats after emailing police about an armed attack. The two men, active in the autonomous movement (i.e. sovereign citizen movement), reject government authority and financial obligations like taxes, spreading their beliefs online.
Their sentences were lower than prosecutors requested. The Dutch intelligence service AIVD estimates tens of thousands identify as sovereign citizens, a number that has grown, partly due to COVID-19 measures and rising “conspirituality”—a fusion of spiritual beliefs and conspiracy theories. Experts warn that dismissing these individuals as “crazy” is counterproductive, urging dialogue to address their grievances.
Australia
A woman claiming to be a sovereign citizen was sent for a mental health assessment after a heated altercation with police during a traffic stop in Casula, Sydney. She refused to provide identification, insisted she was a “living woman” not subject to government authority, and attempted to charge officers $33,000 per hour for detaining her.
Police stopped her for driving an unregistered and uninsured vehicle. She argued her car was private property and not a vehicle, citing pseudo-legal claims and conspiracy theories. When officers attempted to check the vehicle, she allegedly slammed a door into one of them, leading to her arrest for assaulting police.
The woman, a prolific social media poster on sovereign citizen and right-wing topics, was charged with seven offenses, including driving on a suspended license and failing to surrender a suspended firearms license. A magistrate ordered a mental health evaluation before further court proceedings.
Courts have consistently described their legal arguments as nonsensical and ineffective.