Suspect accused of bombing Jumbo grocery stores demands freedom

The court in Leeuwarden treated the appeal on whether Alex O., suspected of extorting supermarket chain Jumbo with various bomb threats, will remain in custody on Monday. O. appealed against a previous ruling that remanded him into custody until his trial start in March, NU reports.

Last month the court in Groningen ruled that O. will await his trial in custody and must undergo psychiatric observation in the Pieter Baan Center. But O. insists that he is not the one responsible for extorting the supermarket chain and demanded his freedom.

The court is expected to rule on this appeal on Tuesday. Should the ruling fall in favor of O., he will be will not have to stay in the Pieter Baan Center and will be allowed to await his trial in freedom.

Alex O. is suspected of extorting supermarket chain Jumbo with a series of explosives and threats of explosives last year. He demanded a large amount of bitcoins from the supermarket before he would stop his attacks. Two of the explosives turned out to be actual bombs.