UPDATE: nieuws situatie campagne ORDA / ORP GR verkiezingen maart 2026, Nederland, Achterhoek en Winterswijk met onder meer Max van den Berg
============================================================================================================================================

> This message, news article and the websites from ORDA / Oranje Republikeinse Piraten will be later updated due to a shortage of time and other activities to do:
>
> Statement of Freek Dielen in Dutch:
>
> Na constructief overleg hebben Freek Dielen en het bestuur en overgebleven kandidaten van ORDA / ORP gezamenlijk met de campagne commissie van ORDA / ORP besloten om hun samenwerking te beëindigen en ieder hun eigen weg te gaan.
>
> Dit betekent dat Freek Dielen niet langer de nummer 1 lijsttrekker en kandidaat-raadslid is voor ORDA / ORP in Winterswijk of welke andere gemeente dan ook op het moment voor de komende verkiezingen. Dit besluit is in goed overleg genomen. De gemeente Winterswijk is hiervan eveneens op de hoogte gesteld via meerdere communicatielijnen en gesprekken. 
>
>
> URGENT STATEMENT: STATUS OF DUTCH COUNCIL CANDIDATE MAX VAN DEN BERG AS A CANDIDATE FOR ORDA / ORANGE REPUBLICAN PIRATES
>
> The Dutch Electoral Committee (informal reference) and the supporters of Max van den Berg confirm that he is a registered candidate for the March 18, 2026, elections. His visit to the region was intended as a peaceful observation of the new Syrian administration’s treatment of minorities. We call upon President Ahmed al-Sharaa to uphold his promise of protecting the civil rights and to release Mr. Van den Berg to his family and constituents in the Netherlands or another contry after conversations, talks and according to the will of Max van den Berg.
>
> Dear Max, we are aware of your current situation with the Syrian transitional authorities. We urge you to cooperate fully. We have informed the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Turkish and/or other stakeholders and mediators of your status as a formal candidate for the March 18 elections in 2026, near the German border municipality of Winterswijk in the region Achterhoek in Gelderland and your candidate list in Amsterdam and The Hague.
>
> Your former party JL, your supporting parliament member Gideon van Meijeren with questions about your situation in Syria, who knows you by heart from Forum voor Democracy and also ORDA / ORP, a grassroots organisation with contacts to the International Pirate Party in many countries and ORDA / ORP as a political organisation and likewise offspring from the Dutch Pirate Party, are all peaceful, registered Dutch political organization. We respect the laws of the Syrian State and look forward to your safe return to fulfill your democratic and righteous duties.
>
>
> Formal Open Letter to the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
>
>
> To: H.E. Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Syrian Arab Republic (Transitional Government)
>
>
> Date: February 18, 2026
> Subject: Urgent Request for Consular Access and Repatriation of Mr. Max van den Berg to the Netherlands, European Union or maybe even Brazil
>
>
> Your Excellency,
> We write to you regarding the detention of the Dutch citizen, Mr. Max van den Berg, who was apprehended in Damascus on February 15, 2026.
>
>
> Mr. Van den Berg is a high-profile political figure in the Netherlands and a formal candidate in the upcoming municipal elections scheduled for March 18, 2026.
>
> His affiliation with the former “Jezus Leeft” party as a candidate and now with several political parties like Forum voor Democratie and ORDA / ORP is strictly a matter of personal faith and Dutch domestic political identity; it is not intended as a challenge to the Islamic values or the sovereignty of the Syrian Arab Republic.
>
>
> As your administration seeks international legitimacy and the removal of sanctions, the transparent and humane treatment of European political candidates is of the utmost importance. We emphasize that Mr. Van den Berg:
>
>
> Holds no hostile intent toward the Syrian State or the leadership of Ahmed al-Sharaa.
>
>
> Is required by Dutch law to be present for the final stages of the election campaign.
>
>
> Is a man of peace whose presence in Syria was a personal journey of faith and political observation.
>
>
> We request that you facilitate his immediate transfer to the Turkish authorities (MIT) or the Dutch Consular officials for repatriation to another country, if your judgement is, that he can no longer be a traveller in Syria or the Middle East as a free man, without held be in detention.
>
> Such a gesture of goodwill would be viewed favorably by the international community as a sign of Syria’s transition toward a state governed by the rule of law.
>
>
> Respectfully,
>
> Erwin Lensink, president of ORDA / Oranje Republikeinse Piraten
> On behalf of the Candidates of ORDA / ORP, the Board members of ORDA / ORP, volunteers and a lot of fans of ORDA / ORP and the people of the Netherlands and ORDA / ORP campaign and candidates commission of the municipality of Winterswijk, Amsterdam and The Hague and the Global Minority Rights Watch