Up to 8 years in prison for attacks on Polish supermarkets

The court in Alkmaar on Friday imposed prison sentences of up to eight years on five men for their involvement in a series of bomb attacks on Polish supermarkets across the Netherlands in December 2020 and January 2021. The Public Prosecution Service had demanded prison sentences of up to 9 years against them last month.

In its verdict, the court described the attacks as “intimidating, excessive, and brutal violence.”

Between 8 December 2020 and 4 January 2021, explosives went off five times at Polish supermarkets in Aalsmeer, Heeswijk-Dinther, twice in Beverwijk, and Tilburg. The explosions had a devastating effect and caused hundreds of thousands of euros in damage.

In the first explosion in Aalsmeer, the blast threw pieces of glass and wood up to 30 meters away. The facade was blown out of the building. A car went up in flames, and a home above the store caught fire. The residents escaped unhurt.

Despite extensive investigations, the Dutch authorities have not found a motive for the attack. None of the perpetrators would say anything about who hired them or ordered the attacks.