108 MEPs sign an open letter in support to LuxLeaks whistleblowers

Dear Raphaël and Antoine,

(…) We salute your courage over the past years and your tenacity in trying to overturn the 29 June verdict. Clearly, the Luxembourg Leaks had a decisive impact for the debate on tax transparency and tax justice. (…)

On Thursday, September 8th, 108 MEPs published an open letter to Antoine Deltour and Raphaël Halet. They pay tribute to the “courage” of the two whistleblowers, as well as their “tenacity in trying to overturn the 29th June verdict”. According to PaperJam, a copy of the letter was sent to Vera Jourova, European Commissioner for Justice, and to Félix Braz, Luxembourg Minister for Justice.

The 108 MEPs said they were “shocked’ by the judgment of the Luxembourg court of first instance which convicted Antoine Deltour and Raphaël Halet, while at the same time their whistleblowers’ status was recognised. The signatories confirm their willingness to keep on working towards a better legislative framework for whistleblowers’ protection, in the months and years to come.

Finally, they hope that the “intimate ties” between PwC and the Luxembourg tax administration –one of the revelations of the LuxLeaks trial– will be duly investigated.

With the upcoming appeal proceedings, this new gesture from Members of the European Parliament is certainly welcome. The issue of whistleblowers’ protection, which is at the heart of the LuxLeaks case, is still on the agenda of the EU governing bodies… let’s hope now for concrete advancements!

More information

• The open letter (PDF, 213 Ko)
• The Guardian – “MEPs offer support to convicted LuxLeaks whistleblowers”
• Delano – “MEPs Call for Lux. Tax Office Probe ”
• Tagesschau – “Offener Brief von EU-Abgeordneten : Hundertfacher Ruf nach Whistleblower-Schutz”
• Luxemburger Wort – “Offener Brief von 108 EU-Abgeordneten”