356 criminal threats reported against MPs last year, up from 235 in 2024

Threats against national politicians rose significantly last year, with 493 reports submitted to the Public Prosecution Service (OM). In 356 cases, the threats were judged to be criminal. In 2024, there were 363 reports, of which 235 were classified as punishable offenses.

The 356 criminal threats reported in 2025 mark a rise from 235 in 2024, but the total remains far below the record figures of 2022. Back then, 1,125 reports were submitted, with 889 classified as criminal offenses. The drop in 2023 and 2024 can partly be attributed to Geert Wilders, who typically accounts for most reports, filing fewer complaints.

Reports are handled by the Threatened Politicians Team within the Politie Den Haag, after which the OM in The Hague assesses whether they are punishable under criminal law.

During a special themed session at the District Court in The Hague on Monday, four defendants were found guilty of making similar threats. They received conditionally suspended jail terms of between one week and one month, in addition to community service sentences of 30 to 120 hours.

A 61-year-old man from Menen, Belgium, received a suspended sentence of one week for posting a threatening tweet that mentioned “Bijltjesdag,” shaving the head of D66 MP Sjoerd Sjoerdsma, and Nazi collaboration, and included a video clip implying violence.

A 50-year-old man from Delft was sentenced to 80 hours of community service and a one-month suspended jail term for leaving the comment “A bullet in that forehead, please” under an Instagram post by Jan Paternotte, also an MP for D66.

A 42-year-old man from Volendam received a 120-hour community service sentence for commenting on an online post that it was time to “track down Roxeanne Van Baarle and assault her.” Van Baarle is a member of DENK.

A 61-year-old man from Zevenhuizen was sentenced to 30 hours of community service after sending an envelope containing harmless white powder and messages accusing former ministers Mark Rutte and Hugo de Jonge of murder and claiming they should face the Nuremberg Tribunal.

A new themed court session is scheduled for March 17 at the District Court in The Hague. Preliminary hearings are intended to limit the number of cases that end up before a judge, according to the OM. In the past year, 21 of these hearings took place, involving offenses punishable by up to 180 hours of community service. Suspects who object can still have their case heard in court.

The vast majority of threats occur online. In 2025, more than 200 cases could not be prosecuted, often because the perpetrators remained anonymous or the messages originated from abroad, where Dutch authorities have limited legal reach.