Rotterdam suspect in Hamas terror case denies accusations

The 56-year-old Rotterdammer Nazih R., who is a suspect in a Danish and German terror investigation, is denying the accusation he is a member of Hamas. His lawyer said this on Tuesday during a hearing at the International Legal Assistance Chamber in the court in Amsterdam. The court will decide about his extradition to Germany. R. is fighting against the extradition.

R. was arrested on Thursday, the 14th of December, in Rotterdam-Zuid at Germany’s request. There is a joint investigation into R. in Germany and Denmark. A German prosecutor claims the man has been a member of Hamas for years.

Three other men were arrested by the police in Berlin, who were also judged to have close connections with the military branch of Hamas. The Danish police also detained people suspected of making terror plans.

The German officers believe that the suspects helped build up a stockpile of weapons in Berlin that could be used to attack Jewish institutions in Europe. R. is believed to have made several attempts to find the weapons with two fellow suspects in October.

R.’s lawyer has spoken of “severe accusations” that her client has struggled with for two months and have had a profound impact on her client and his family. She added that the supposed weapons depot was never found.

The Public Prosecution Service thinks R. should be prosecuted in Germany as the offenses occurred there. Germany has agreed to allow R. to serve his prison sentence in the Netherlands if convicted.

R. came into the court with a walker. In his last words, he complained about the holding conditions in Vught. He is in an authoritarian regime there. He also complained about his arrest in broad daylight, in the presence of his 2.5-year-old son, who was playing. He has asked his lawyer to file a complaint about the police actions.

He said that he has been living in the Netherlands since 1994 and has been politically active in support of the Palestinian cause since 2000. “I was present at several different conferences in Europe and Turkey to support the Palestinians,” he said via a translator. “I am only trying to ensure that we can return back to our Palestine. We are working on that with all Palestinians in Europe.”

The court in Amsterdam does not assess the substance of the case and will only examine whether the formalities surrounding the extradition have been complied with. The verdict is on Tuesday, the 20th of February.