Man arrested over Princess Amalia threats in November still held on other charges

Police arrested 40-year-old Mohamad E. in November on suspicion of involvement in threats against Princess Amalia, the daughter of King Willem-Alexander and heir to the thrown. This was confirmed by a spokesperson for the Public Prosecution Office following reports from Het Parool on Friday. However, he is no longer considered a suspect in that case, but is still being held in pre-trial detention on several other serious charges.

In October 2022, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima announced that due to serious threats, their daughter no longer lived in Amsterdam and was not allowed to leave her home after evidence emerged that she was targeted by organized crime figures for a possible attack or kidnapping.

Mohamad E. is believed to have sent messages in February 2021 that triggered the highest security alert. One of the messages read, "That woman giving violin lessons to Amalia is providing info to my people, bro." Another message from the same user sent a few seconds later read, "Yeah I'm gonna take that gamble bro." The names of journalists Peter R. de Vries, Mick van Wely, and John van den Heuvel were also mentioned in these messages. The messages were also about firearms, explosives, and drugs.

In September 2022, investigators discovered these messages were linked to Mohamad E. The investigators believed he aimed to get information from Princess Amalia's violin teacher, potentially to commit a violent crime. The mention of "taking that gamble" suggests he recognized the risk in his intentions.

E. was then closely observed and tapped. On November 15, 2022, E. was arrested at his ex-girlfriend's home and taken to a cell complex in Amsterdam-Zuidoost. He was later held in an Intensive Supervision Unit, subject to the second strictest detention regime in the Netherlands.

The criminal investigation into Mohamad E. did not confirm or support the initial suspicions. However, since his arrest in 2022, E. has been held in pre-trial detention on soft and hard drugs trafficking, arms trafficking, money laundering, a car explosion in Nuland using explosives, and possession of counterfeit money.

E. vehemently denied that he was the sender of these messages. The thought that the investigation into him might be the reason Princess Amalia lives under heavy security since 2022 profoundly troubles him. From detention, he told the newspaper that the allegations were "absurd and insane."

His lawyer Yehudi Moszkowicz stated that the messages could not have referred to the crown princess. According to him, her last violin lesson took place over eight years ago, and her violin teacher has since passed away. "So, that disputed message can't be about the crown princess. Unless there's another suspicion of a serious crime against her from different sources, she's apparently under heavy security without cause,” he said.

In a response to the newspaper, the Public Prosecution Office stated they "cannot confirm whether the suspicions against Mohamad E. were a factor in the heightened security measures for Crown Princess Amalia." They added that they "cannot comment on the security of anyone." The office expressed surprise that E. reached out to the newspaper, especially since he is not on trial for that particular matter, suggesting they can only speculate that he might be seeking sensationalism.

In November, Queen Máxima shared the immense impact the threats had on their daughter's life. "The consequences are very difficult for her. She doesn't have a normal student life," she said. The King expressed that he "cannot describe" the feelings he has as a father towards the threats directed at his daughter and found the situation "extremely distressing."

The Dutch Government Information Service declined to comment on the princess's security situation.