Nieuws

Four suspects in synagogue bombing accused of terrorism offences

Four men who were arrested in connection with an explosion outside a synagogue in Rotterdam are accused of terrorism-related offences, prosecutors have said.

The suspects, all from Tilburg and aged between 17 and 19, appeared in court on Monday following the blast on ABN Davidsplein on Thursday night.

They were arrested shortly afterwards outside another synagogue on Mozartlaan after police saw their car parked nearby.

They are formally accused of causing an explosion, arson and attempted arson with intent to cause serious alarm to the Jewish community, which is classed as terrorism.

The prosecution service (OM) said all four men were being detained in isolation, meaning they can only have contact with their lawyers.

Police have also released images of two men who are suspected of being involved in the explosion on Saturday morning outside the Jewish school Cheider in Amsterdam.

Camera footage

The footage shows the men riding towards the school on a scooter which stops briefly, allowing the cameras to reveal their faces.

Two men accused of carrying out a third explosion at an office in the Zuidas business district of Amsterdam travelled to the scene on a fatbike, police confirmed on Tuesday.

The men wore dark clothing and one carried a rucksack. The rider of the fatbike fled in the direction of Parnassusweg following the blast on Monday morning, while the passenger, who planted the explosives, left on foot towards Zuidplein.

The building housed businesses including the Dutch office of the Bank of New York Mellon.

The explosions caused minimal damage but have led to alarm in the Jewish community and beyond about rising anti-Semitism in the Netherlands.

City mayor Femke Halsema called the blast outside the school a “cowardly act of aggression towards the Jewish community”, while prime minister Rob Jetten, who met Jewish community leaders on Monday, said it was part of a “wider pattern of anti-Semitism in the Netherlands.”

Police are investigating if the three explosions are connected. An organisation calling itself Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyyah posted a video online claiming responsibility for the attacks as well as a fourth blast in Liege, Belgium, but justice minister David van Weel said it was too early to confirm they are linked.

 

Thank you for donating to DutchNews.nl.

We could not provide the Dutch News service, and keep it free of charge, without the generous support of our readers. Your donations allow us to report on issues you tell us matter, and provide you with a summary of the most important Dutch news each day.

Make a donation

What's your reaction?

Leave A Reply

Je e-mailadres wordt niet gepubliceerd. Vereiste velden zijn gemarkeerd met *

Related Posts

Load More Posts Loading...No More Posts.