Suspect who declared "Jew hunt" in Amsterdam riots could face 8 months in prison
The Public Prosecution Service (OM) demanded eight months in prison against a suspect who allegedly spoke about a “Jew hunt” while attacking Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters in Amsterdam following a match against Ajax on November 7. Another suspect who shared Maccabi fans’ locations could face a month in prison.
“Words are also very dangerous,” the OM said in court about messages describing ‘Jew hunts’ found on the suspects’ phones. “It is not without reason that certain words are punishable. I also heard suspects say yesterday that they do not hate Jews. Nevertheless, the words are said. They contribute to anti-Semitism and the condoning of it.”
The night of the riots “is a night that Amsterdam will feel deeply ashamed about for a long time to come,” the OM said. “Amsterdam should not have to do that, the suspects should.”
The court will also hear the case against a 22-year-old Palestinian man suspected of attempted manslaughter later on Thursday. His case was set to appear on Wednesday but got postponed to Thursday because the interpreter had to leave. Mahmoud A.’s lawyer asked that he be released from custody because his family in Gaza is entirely dependent on whatever income he can earn.
Umutcan A. should spend 8 months in jail, but 3 can be suspended, OM says
The first suspect on trial on Thursday is 24-year-old Umutcan A. from The Hague. He is accused of involvement in a fight on the Damrak, where video footage allegedly shows him kicking a Maccabi Tel Aviv fan in the face and then taking the supporter’s yellow scarf. In deleted messages recovered from A.’s phone, a friend praised him for “beating up Jews” saying that “Umut was the star of the night again,” the prosecutor said in court. A friend asked what happened, and A. replied “Jew hunt.”
The OM demanded eight months in prison against A., three of which to be conditionally suspended. “Words are also very dangerous,” the OM said. “It is not without reason that certain words are punishable. I also heard suspects say yesterday that they do not hate Jews. Nevertheless, the words are said. They contribute to anti-Semitism and the condoning of it.”
A. turned himself in after the police showed his photo on Opsporing Verzocht. In court, A. said that he “acted out of fear” and in a “stupid reflex” when he attacked the Maccabi supporter and took his scarf. Back home, he threw the scarf away. His mother later found it. “The worst thing I find is that my mother recognized me,” he said about his photo on Opsporing Verzocht. That is “one of the things” A. finds bad.
A. said that he is in the process of taking over his father’s business, a convenience and liquor store in The Hague. He sometimes drinks alcohol but is doing well. “Ultimately, I am just a Dutch citizen. A citizen who simply works hard and pays taxes,” he said. He is bothered by the media and political attention after the riots and is certain the victims of the violence feel the same. “Everyone knows now. Unfortunately,” he said. “Your life can change completely in an instant.”
His involvement in the attacks on Maccabi supporters was “a very stupid choice,” A said. In retrospect, I shouldn’t have done it.”
A.’s lawyer argued that the violence in Amsterdam the night of the Ajax-Maccabi Tel Aviv match came from two sides, showing a video of Maccabi supporters chanting “fuck the Arabs.” According to the lawyer, there is a video on the Maccabi website showing supporters chanting that there are no houses and no schools in Gaza.
One month in prison, two weeks suspended, recommended for Karavan S.
The second suspect to face the court on Thursday was 26-year-old Karavan S. He allegedly sent messages in the WhatsApp group ‘Buurthuis 2,’ sharing the location of Maccabi fans in Amsterdam and details about the flight they would take back to Israel. He called the Maccabi fans “those Jews” and the location details he sent led to violence being used against them, the OM said.
“He knew what was going on,” the OM said. “The suspect himself also spoke about ‘those Jews.’” A discrimination aspect is therefore added to the sentence demanded against S. Because he did not commit any violence himself, the OM demanded one month in prison, two weeks of which are conditional, against the man.
S. has completed a higher professional education and wants to continue his studies, he told the court. He works through employment agencies and cares for his sick mother, acting as a driver and interpreter for her. The two weeks he spent in custody after the riots were devastating. “That was a huge hell,” S. told the court. “I think it’s terrible what I did to my mother.” He said he regrets participating in the group chat and hadn’t thought about the consequences of the messages he sent.
The probation service estimates the risk of S. reoffending as “low.”
