Acquitted terrorism suspect arrested before Rotterdam marathon

The Rotterdam police arrested suspected jihadist Mounir E. before the Rotterdam marathon in April and kept him in custody until the marathon weekend was over, a spokesperson for the Rotterdam police confirmed to NU.nl.

According to the spokesperson, there were suspicions that the 34-year-old man from Spijkenisse was planning an attack. This was partly based on statements from employees of the municipal transport company RET, who overheard him saying that "something beautiful will happen at the marathon: boom!", according to the newspaper.

A special area ban was imposed on the man for the duration of the marathon. Since March 1st the Dutch police have been able to impose restrictions on suspected terrorists before they commit a criminal offense. This special area ban derives from the so-called football law, in which football hooligans can be banned from stadiums or related areas if the police believe they pose a risk.

In 2014 the Public Prosecutor suspected Mounir E. of joining terrorist organization Islamic State. He was acquitted due to lack of evidence.