A 19-year-old from Eindhoven goes into jail for six months for collecting and sharing knowledge needed to commit a terrorist crime. He has also been convicted of calling for terrorism. The court in The Hague has determined this. Two years had been demanded.
According to the judge, the ‘seriously radicalized’ young man has shared on TIKTOK videos that call others for the commitment to Jihad, the violent fight against people who do not adhere to Islam. He was also guilty of ‘reprehensible statements’. This all happened last summer.
Acquitted of serious plans
The Public Prosecution Service had used higher because the young man, AK, would have actually planned plans with others for murder, manslaughter and arson with a terrorist purpose. They would have been aiming for PVV leader Geert Wilders and anti-Islam activist Edwin Wagensveld.
Of this, K., whose videos have been viewed on TIKTOK thousands of times, is acquitted. This was the heaviest he was accused of. The man has also always denied that he actually intended this.
K. has collected a lot of information online about, among other things, stabbing others, making explosives and bypassing explosive detection. He was also in possession of material that promotes jihadism. He discussed online with others what violent fate, according to his interpretation of Islam, deserved other believers. He also tried to convince others that this interpretation of Islam is the only right one.
He has had conversations via Telegram about possible targets or locations for an attack, with which the suspect has played on it that he wants to kill others. It never came to concrete steps.
‘Threat to rule of law’
Drawing of terror, such as attacks in public places, threaten the democratic constitutional state and the international community, the judge emphasizes in its ruling. These attacks are committed from an intolerant religious ideology, where it is attempted to impose their own right to others.
This is also apparent from material that was found at K. – no resources and methods are shunned. Innocent civilians are often the victims, the judge warns. Moreover, such actions fuel a lot of fear within Dutch society.
As a stick, the young man has been given a suspended prison sentence of six months. During the probationary period of two years he must be open to guidance in ET Learning about other religions. He is also not allowed to come into contact with extremist material during that period, let alone spread this. He must also open up for guidance through the probation service.