18-year-old honor killing victim was tied up and drowned in Lelystad, prosecutors say

Ryan Al Najjar (18) was killed by drowning in water. She was tied up with 18 meters of tape, which contained the DNA of her father. This was reported by the Public Prosecution Service (OM) on Friday during the third preliminary hearing in the case against the brothers Mohamed Al N. (23) and Muhanad Al N. (25), who are accused with their father of the murder. Prosecutors believe that Ryan was the victim of an honor killing.

The body of the woman from Joure was found by an employee of the Staatbosbeheer in the water on Knardijk in Lelystad on May 28, 2024. Her father's cell material was found under the nails of three fingers, the prosecutor said in the court in Lelystad. "That indicates she had resisted."

Results of the investigation show that the victim’s shoes had to have been taken off before she was tied up as her ankles were taped together, according to the prosecutor. Her hands were tied up behind her back. Her mouth was also taped.

The OM has stated that the taping was done by Ryan’s father, 52-year-old Khaled Al N. His DNA was found on several parts of the tape. He is currently allegedly living in Syria.

The victim must have been restrained or unconscious while being tied up, the prosecutor said. Both of her phones were thrown into the water. The phone cases were put in her shoes, which were also found in the water. “The phone case found in the victim's left shoe contained a fingerprint belonging to her brother Mohamed,” the prosecutor said.

Prosecutors quoted conversations between the family members near the time of the murder. A conversation was found on Muhanad’s phone between his brother and his father. "If she is lying and causing us to lose even more face, she must be punished,” the brother said 12 days before the murder.

Ryan’s family felt that she was acting in too much of a Western way. The OM claimed that her family was wishing for her death in chat conversations. “I hope that she comes back in a box,” and “she needs a bullet in her heart and poison in her body.”

Ryan's mother wrote: "God willing, we will see her wrapped in a shroud. Ryan is a disgrace to the family and deserves to die."

The next introductory sessions are on April 25 and June 30. The case will be substantively dealt with at the end of this year.