Prison demanded for mosque molotov cocktail fire

On Friday the Public Prosecutor demanded prison sentences against five men suspected at throwing Molotov cocktails at a mosque in Enschede in February, setting it on fire, NU.nl reports.

Many people were in the mosque at the time, including children. One of the attendees managed to extinguish the fire quickly.

The Prosecutor wants four years in prison against the five suspects. According to the Prosecutor, one suspect showed remorse, so half of his sentence should be conditionally suspended. The Prosecutor also wants to ban the suspects from making contact with each other.

According to the prosecutor, three of the suspects were actually involved in throwing Molotov cocktails at the mosque. The other two were involved in the plan, but not in its execution. The five wanted to send a signal that asylum seekers are not welcome in Enschede.

After the attack on the mosque, the suspects went out celebrating. They took many photos of their party, hoping to create an alibi for the time of the attack.

The Public Prosecutor charged the suspects with arson with terrorist intent. According to the Prosecutor, they deliberately tried to cause fear with their action and they were previously active in demonstrations with an "extreme right-wing" character.

The men sent each other messages with extreme right-wing ideas. A photo was sent of Auschwitz with the words: "Place needed for asylum seekers? Auschwitz is currently empty!" They also sent comments about Anne Frank, who died in a concentration camp in World War II. And a large image of Adolf Hitler was found in one suspect's home.