Eritrean rioters sentenced to jail times of 4 to 12 months

A group of people from Eritrea were sentenced to jail times of 4 to 12 months on Friday, with two to four months of those conditionally suspended for rioting near the event center Opera on the Fruitweg in The Hague in February of this year. Dozens of officers were injured, and over 700,000 euros worth of damage was caused during the riots.

In total, 26 people were arrested for the disturbances around a meeting of the Eritrean community. The court in The Hague treated the case against the first ten suspects, ranging in age from 19 to 36 years. The Public Prosecution Service recommended six to 12 months in prison against the men for severe public violence. Nine of the men were sentenced, and one suspect was acquitted.

According to the court, camera footage shows most of the suspects throwing sidewalk stones at police and walking around with sticks. The court also held them responsible for the actions of the other rioters and the total damage. "It was a continuous process where the group dynamic caused the violence to escalate to an unknown vehemence." The suspect, who was acquitted, had filmed the violence, but according to the court, it could not be legally proven that he took part in it.

On Saturday, February 17, hundreds of opponents of the Eritrean regime attacked a meeting of advocates of the government. The facade of the event center, cars, and a touring car went up in flames.

The suspects claim that their intention was to demonstrate peacefully. They wanted a ban on meetings that supported the regime, which caused them to flee their country. The court pointed out that they were not allowed to force this with violence, especially as it turned against the government that had offered them safety.

None of the suspects were present at the verdict with the court's permission. They may also await the outcome of any appeal for freedom, except for the 23-year-old suspect from The Hague, who has received the most severe sentence of twelve months in prison and must immediately go to jail. He was found guilty of violence and incitement because he allegedly called for this during a live stream on TikTok four days before the riots.