Picture credits: © Corinne Cumming / EBU The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has provided new details regarding the disqualification of Joost Klein from the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) 2024. The artist was representing the Netherlands with the song Europapa.
Last Friday, the singer was barred from participating in rehearsals and subsequently disqualified. The issue involved violent behavior towards a female photographer – described by the Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS as a gesture without physical contact.
The latest information from the EBU confirms that the case was investigated by the Swedish police and will be submitted to a prosecutor in a summary process. Regarding the disqualification, the statement revealed: “The decision to exclude him was backed by the Contest’s governing body of Members – the Eurovision Song Contest Reference Group – and unanimously supported by the EBU Executive Board, following a thorough internal investigation”.
Despite this disqualification potentially seeming like a pre-judgment before the legal process, the EBU assured that this was not the case: “Joost’s behaviour was in clear breach of Contest rules which are designed to ensure there is a safe working environment for all staff and to protect the production. We are not pre-judging the legal process but, given the circumstances of what occurred and the fact that the police case will shortly be handed to the prosecutor, it would not have been appropriate for Joost to participate in the Grand Final”.
Additionally, the entity overseeing the ESC clarified that the rumors circulating online do not correspond to the facts described in the police interrogation: “The version of events released in some public comments and on social media does not correspond with the statements shared with us and the Swedish Police by staff and witnesses. However, the matter is now subject to legal proceedings and there is unfortunately nothing further we can add at this stage”.
The EBU also emphasized: “We have a zero-tolerance policy towards inappropriate behaviour at our events and will always take necessary action to address threats to staff – no matter who they come from”.
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