Day of truth for Badr Hari

Kickboxing champion Badr Hari will hear today if he will be able to continue his fighting career.

Hari will hear his sentence today in the criminal proceedings surrounding various violent acts. On 22 January, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) demanded a 4-year prison sentence against him, of which one year would be probational.

It does not seem likely that 29-year old Bard Hari will end up in jail again in the foreseeable future. Even if he is condemned, Hari is expected to be able to move freely.

The court of justice suspended his custody a year ago for an indefinite period of time, under conditions. Hari was locked up for only 6 months.

If a sentence follows which exceeds those 6 months, the judge could theoretically lift the suspension and rule that Hari must go back to jail. This scenario is unlikely, the Telegraaf reports. The OM has not requested this, and the judge rarely comes to the decision to release from custody.

If Hari denies the facts, he will undoubtedly file an appeal against a condemning sentence. As long as a sentence is irrevocable, the custody will remain effective, and in this case the suspension of it as well.

On 22 January, the OM demanded a 4-year prison term, of which 1 probational sentence. The charge comes from a series of grim cases of violence, in which the serious abuse of businessman Koen Everink forms the heaviest of the charges.

Everink was violently beaten up at the dance festival Sensation in July 2012. Hari denies having any hand in the assault. Another suspect in this case, Ferhat Y, who has a 20-month prison demand, denies involvement.

The bulk of the other cases are about various acts of violence, including kicking and head-butting, that occurred in the Amsterdam night life scene.

During the process, Hari did not want to expound on matters in the case, and has taken full advantage of his right to remain silent, except for one generically-worded apology. Justice has had to collect evidence mainly from others' statements.

Hari's lawyer, Bénédicte Ficq thinks that her client has bled enough, and that he deserves another chance, the Telegraaf reports. If he has to serve time, his sporting career would be over, his lawyer demonstrated.

According to Ficq, it is anyway a question if Hari can shed the image that has shrouded him since the criminal case started. She says that he is "demonized" by the media. Justice is of the opinion that he brought a lot of that misfortune upon himself.