Suspect says he had no serious plans to kill Dutch PM
Yavuz O., a 22-year-old Amsterdam man in custody for threatening to kill Prime Minister Mark Rutte and recruiting people to storm parliament violently, did not really plan to do these things. His lawyer Priya Soekhai said this to RTL Nieuws.
The police arrested Yavuz O. over the summer for plotting to assassinate the Prime Minister. He is suspected of threats, incitement, and intelligence gathering for a terrorist offense. He did so verbally, and via two Telegram accounts between 9 December 2020 and 15 July 2021, RTL reports based on the indictment against him.
O. was active on Telegram channel De Bataafse Republiek, which the Public Prosecution Service took offline because of threatening posts targeting politicians. O. sent messages looking for "fighters" to storm parliament with deadly force. He also talked about "shooting" Ministers and the Prime Minister specifically when he's cycling through The Hague.
Lawyer Priya Soekhai told RTL Nieuws that O. did not have the "intention to actually do it." She also pointed out that this is his first contact with the law.
The man also actively searched for weapons, with search terms like "uzi," "1.62 pistol", "mercenary," and "jobs where you can carry weapons" found on his phone, according to the broadcaster.
O. will appear in court for the first time today for a pro-forma hearing in which the judge will decide whether or not to extend his pre-trial custody.
