
Jean-Claude Van Damme accused of ties to Human Trafficking ring—was the 'Gift' a crime?
According to CNN's Antena 3 channel, Jean-Claude Van Damme found himself at the heart of a scandal after reports of his involvement in a case relating to human trafficking and organized prostitution. This surprising news created considerable uproar on social media, and it landed Van Damme at the center of a scandal.
During an event that took place in Cannes, France, the well-known Belgian actor, who is known for films such as Kickboxer, Double Impact, and Street Fighter, reportedly met numerous individuals who are currently being investigated for sex trafficking charges.
According to the allegations, Van Damme was presented with a "gift" consisting of five Romanian models who were reportedly victims of a human trafficking ring during this event.
Actor Jean-Claude Van Damme (Photo by ROBYN BECK / AFP)
A lawyer for one of the victims, Adrian Koukoulis, stated that "the person who received these services (referring to Van Damme) was aware that the women were victims of human trafficking." Koukoulis, who represents one of the victims, was referring to Van Damme.
In addition, he stated that this particular occurrence is merely a component of a more comprehensive investigation that was initiated by the Romanian Public Prosecutor's Office in the year 2020. The investigation is centered on an organized criminal network that is involved in the exploitation of women and juveniles.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Roya News
2 days ago
- Roya News
'Israel' strikes Haziz power station in Yemen
'Israel' claimed on Sunday that it carried out an airstrike on an energy infrastructure site in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, targeting facilities linked to the Houthis. A statement from the 'Israeli' military said its forces 'struck… deep inside Yemen, targeting an energy infrastructure site that served the Houthi terrorist regime' in Sanaa, without specifying the exact location. Houthi-affiliated Al-Masirah TV, citing a civil defence source, reported that the strike hit the Haziz power station south of Sanaa. Agence France-Presse (AFP) photographers documented significant damage at the site, though no casualties were reported. An employee confirmed 'two aggressive strikes by the Israeli enemy' had occurred early in the morning, adding that fortunately, no one was hurt. Since the outbreak of the 'Israeli' war on Gaza in October 2023, the Houthis have repeatedly launched missiles and drones toward 'Israel', citing solidarity with Palestinians. Defence Minister Israel Katz reinforced 'Israel's' stance on X, stating that the Houthis would 'pay with compound interest for every attempt to fire at Israel' and adding that 'Israel' was 'imposing an air and sea blockade' on the group, a threat he had first made in June. Beyond strikes on 'Israel', the Houthis have also targeted vessels they claim are linked to 'Israel' in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Their campaign expanded to ships associated with the United States and the United Kingdom following military operations in January 2024 aimed at securing the waterways.


Jordan Times
11-08-2025
- Jordan Times
Nigerian military kills more than 100 'bandits' in northwest raid
KANO, Nigeria — The Nigerian military killed more than 100 members of a criminal gang in an air and ground raid over the weekend, according to a conflict monitoring report produced for the United Nations and seen by AFP on Monday. Armed groups called "bandits" by locals have for years been terrorising communities in northwest and central Nigeria, raiding villages, kidnapping residents for ransom and burning homes after looting them. The military raid in the restive northwestern state of Zamfara was launched "in the early hours" Sunday in the Bukkuyum local government area, where fighter jets in coordination with ground troops pounded a gathering of more than 400 bandits in their Makakkari forest camp. The military's attack "may have occurred in response to consecutive banditry, especially kidnapping, in the state in the previous month", the report said, noting a link between a recent decrease in military operations in the state and a spate of bandit attacks. Bukkuyum's Adabka village was on Friday the scene of a bandit attack that saw residents kidnapped and 13 security personnel killed. Bandits had been planning an attack on a farming village when "air and ground troops ambushed a bandit camp... killing over 100", the report said. A spokesman for the Nigerian army did not respond to an AFP request for comment. Violence spreading Nigeria's "banditry" crisis originated in conflict over land and water rights between herders and farmers but has morphed into organised crime, with gangs preying on rural communities that have long had little or no government presence. Cattle rustling and kidnapping have become huge moneymakers in the largely impoverished countryside. Groups also levy taxes on farmers and artisanal miners. The conflict is worsening a malnutrition crisis in the northwest as attacks drive people away from their farms, in a situation that has been complicated by climate change and western aid cuts. Despite military deployment to fight the criminal gangs since 2015 and the creation of a militia force by the Zamfara state government two years ago, the violence has persisted. In July, Nigerian troops killed at least 95 members of an armed gang in a shootout and air strikes in the northwest state of Niger. But the military is overstretched, with banditry spreading out of its northwestern heartland into central Nigeria. Bandits, who are primarily motivated by money, have also increased their cooperation with Nigeria's extremist groups, who are waging a separate, 16-year-old armed insurrection in the northeast.


Roya News
07-08-2025
- Roya News
Funeral held for Palestinian activist Awdah Hathaleen killed by settler in West Bank
Hundreds of Palestinians gathered Thursday in the village of Umm al-Khair in the occupied West Bank to bury Awdah Hathaleen, a 31-year-old activist and filmmaker who was shot and killed by an 'Israeli' settler late last month. The funeral came more than 11 days after his death, following 'Israeli' authorities' decision to withhold his body and impose restrictions on the burial. 'He was killed by a hateful settler, his body was held for 11 days, and more than 20 people from the village were arrested,' said Aziz Hathaleen, Awdah's brother, describing the events that followed the July 28 killing. According to eyewitnesses and video footage shared online, the shooter was identified as Yinon Levy, a settler who has been sanctioned by the United Kingdom. While he was briefly detained, he was released the next day. 'The settler accused of the fatal shooting was released at that very moment,' Aziz told Agence France-Presse (AFP). Awdah Hathaleen was known internationally through his involvement in No Other Land, a documentary that won Best Documentary at the 2025 Oscars. The film chronicles the daily struggles of Palestinians in Masafer Yatta, a cluster of villages in the southern West Bank, including Umm al-Khair, against home demolitions and settler expansion. 'Israeli' authorities placed conditions on the funeral, according to relatives. 'The first condition was that he not be buried in the area at all, and the second was that no mourning tent be set up,' said Ibrahim Hathaleen, another relative of the deceased. He added that the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) initially blocked the family from retrieving the body. An AFP journalist at the scene reported a heavy IOF presence around the village, with checkpoints preventing some Palestinians and foreign activists from entering. Despite these measures, around 100 mourners made it to the funeral, many visibly emotional as they said their final goodbyes and performed prayers at the village mosque. The killing comes amid heightened tensions in the West Bank, where violence has surged since the onset of the war on Gaza in October 2023. According to Palestinian sources, at least 968 Palestinians have been killed by the IOF or settlers in the West Bank during that period.