Prosecution drops terror charges against far-right affiliate Thomas D.

Prosecutors have dropped the case against 24-year-old Thomas D. over alleged preparations for a terrorist act. According to the Public Prosecution Service (OM), the evidence is too weak to support charges, a prosecutor told the Rotterdam court during its first public session on Wednesday. D. was involved with the Geuzenbond, an organization labeled far-right by the National Coordinator for Counterterrorism and Security (NCTV).

The arrest took place on August 14 after the Dutch civilian intelligence service, AIVD, issued an intelligence memo suggesting that the suspect was considering violence against members of the far‑left group Antifa.

The document claims that D., while counting ammunition, remarked that the idea of “81 dead Antifa” amused him, even if it wasn’t actionable. He supposedly added that he would stab any Antifa members who came to his doorstep, according to the prosecutor. D. says he only made those comments because he was intoxicated at the time.

Authorities found at least six working firearms at D.’s residence, along with gun parts, ammunition, and materials for making bullets, including gunpowder and primers. “A small weapons workshop was uncovered at the property,” the prosecutor said.

D. faces charges of gun possession and illegal construction or modification of firearms. Investigators also seized hand and crossbows, knives, and tactical vests. “The suspect combines an ideology that the OM considers alarming with a troubling and illegal obsession with weapons,” the prosecutor noted.

According to the suspect, his interest in weapons has been a hobby since childhood. “Having this interest doesn’t make someone a terrorist, even if they support right-wing politics,” he said. He noted that some of the firearms are antique and emphasized that he does not condone violence. While active in the Geuzenbond, he frequently participated in non-violent actions such as posting stickers and attending demonstrations, he told the court.