Three confess to assaulting Israeli football fans in Amsterdam; Police hunting 23 more

The Public Prosecution Service (OM) recommended convictions and prison sentences of up to a year behind bars for three men accused of carrying out acts of targeted violence in Amsterdam in connection with the November football match between Ajax and Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv. All three suspects admitted that they played a role in the violence, and expressed their regret for their actions on Wednesday. Additionally, police also released images of nearly two dozen people still sought in connection with the rioting, some of whom are believed to be Maccabi supporters.

The highest sentence recommendation was handed out to 22-year-old taxi driver Kamal I. He allegedly hit football fans and called on others to riot in a group chat.

Cenk D. is suspected of complicity in public violence and group insult on November 7 and 8. He allegedly said malicious and insulting things about Jewish people in a group chat. He, for example, sent images of swastikas, glorified the Holocaust, and wrote insulting messages about Anne Frank. A two-month prison sentence was recommended against him.

Mohammed B. (26) had attempted to hit a Maccabi fan with a belt. He denies making contact with the man while doing so. The recommendation against him is 11 days, which is equal to the time that he has spent in pre-trial detention.

Tensions had already begun to rise before the match in Amsterdam. Israeli supporters tore a Palestinian flag off of a facade in the city center a day earlier. Images of a taxi driver’s car being hit were also circulating.

After the match, Amsterdam’s city center was the scene of numerous violent incidents, with mainly Maccabi supporters being the target of the attacks. The images of this were shared around the world.

The three suspects all expressed their regret for their actions. “I really do not know why I did it. I let myself get dragged along, but I really should not have done it. I am ashamed,” D. said to the court.

I. told the court that he became very emotional when he saw from his taxi that the situation was getting out of hand in the city center. “I admit that I contributed to the riots during those days. I regret this immensely.”

The Syrian-born B. has recently lost many family members in Gaza. “The war there has affected me greatly. But I have regrets. I should have stayed at home during that day and should not have gone into the city.”

Five suspects were sentenced for their role in the violence last year. The highest punishment was six months in prison. The other punishments ranged from 100 hours of community service to ten weeks in jail.

Police shared videos of 23 more suspects in connection with the violence in court on Wednesday, including footage of the Maccabi fans destroying a Palestinian flag.

The police also showed "images of people involved in public violence, such as attacking a taxi." It also concerns people who "used violence against people in the days that followed."

This was the first time during this case that footage of Israeli supporters was shown. The fact that it took a while for these supporters to come into focus is because the police first dealt with the most serious acts of violence. In addition, the police first tried to find out the identity of the supporters via the police in Israel.