The Cover-up General
Non-fiction thriller by Edwin F. Giltay
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The Cover-up General is a non-fiction thriller by Dutch author Edwin F. Giltay, first published in 2014. The book describes an espionage scandal he witnessed first-hand, within military intelligence of the Armed forces of the Netherlands.[1][2] At the root of it all was the infamous Srebrenica Massacre depicting war crimes, which was misdeveloped by a navy photo laboratory.[3]
First edition cover | |
| Author | Edwin F. Giltay |
|---|---|
| Original title | De doofpotgeneraal |
| Language | Dutch |
| Subject | Military intelligence |
| Genre | Non-fiction thriller |
| Set in | Delft and The Hague |
| Published |
|
| Publisher | SpeakEasy Publisher & Agency, De Blauwe Tijger |
| Publication place | The Netherlands |
| Media type | Print (paperback) |
| Pages | 263 (2nd edition) |
| ISBN | 978-94-92161-21-5 |
| OCLC | 960019892 |
Publication prohibited
A year after its publication, a former secret service agent filed a lawsuit against the author. She claimed she was depicted unjustly in the publication and demanded it to be censored.[4] Subsequently, the book was banned by a district court.[5] Giltay was also prohibited to talk about the contents of The Cover-up General in public.[5]
Book ban overturned
In 2016 however, the book ban was overturned by the Court of Appeal in The Hague.[6] It ruled the accuracy of the publication is not in doubt and affirmed its importance for the public debate on the Srebrenica drama.[6] The Dutch Ministry of Defence, which had expressed doubts regarding the book’s contents, refrained from commenting on the verdict.[7]
Extended edition
An extended edition of The Cover-up General was published later that same year.[8] In their lawsuit against the Netherlands, the Mothers of Srebrenica use the book as supporting evidence.[9] It backs their notion of the Dutch military obscuring proof regarding the 1995 genocide,[9] whose aftermath still leaves questions unanswered.
Press freedom
The banning of The Cover-up General was rather unique, as books are hardly ever prohibited in The Netherlands.[10] This restriction on freedom of the press was condemned by journalists and politicians alike.[11] Despite extensive media coverage and Parliamentary questions,[12] many elements raised in the book have yet to be addressed.[7]