5 convicted in Netherlands for violence against Israeli football fans

A Dutch court convicted five men on Tuesday for their role in the attack last month Violence against Israeli football fans In Amsterdam, which shocked the world and sparked accusations of anti-Semitism.

The Amsterdam District Court found them guilty of a range of crimes, from kicking Maccabi Tel Aviv fans in the street to inciting violence in chat groups.

The most severe sentence was given to a man named Siva O., who was imprisoned for six months. Charged with public violence against several people.

Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were subjected to hit-and-run attacks in the early hours of November 8 after a Europa League match against Amsterdam giants Ajax.

Images of the violence, which briefly left five fans hospitalized, spread around the world and sparked an angry reaction in Israel – including accusations of a “massacre”.

The most serious case under consideration on Tuesday was that of “O,” who prosecutors said played a “leading role” in the violence.

The court saw images of a man named “O” kicking someone to the ground, chasing targets and hitting people in the head and body.

The prosecutor said the beating had “little to do” with football, but added that “in this case, there is no evidence of terrorist intent and the violence was not motivated by anti-Semitic sentiments.”

“I was affected by violence The situation in Gaza“It’s not because of anti-Semitism,” the prosecutor said.

The attacks came after two days of skirmishes that also saw Maccabi fans chanting anti-Arab songs, vandalizing a taxi and burning the Palestinian flag.

Police said they were investigating at least 45 people over acts of violence, including those carried out by fans of the Israeli club.

Another man, Omotkan A., 24, was sentenced to a month in prison for assaulting fans and violently ripping off a Maccabi scarf from one of them.

The prosecution had requested harsher sentences for the men, up to two years, in the O case.

The judge said people convicted of such crimes usually must serve the community. She added: “But the court believes that, given the seriousness of the crime and the context in which it was committed, only imprisonment is appropriate.”

An AFP correspondent saw only one of the five men present in court to hear the verdicts.

A 22-year-old man named Abu Shabab M., 22, is facing a charge of attempted murder, but his case was postponed while he underwent psychological evaluation.

His lawyer told the court that he was born in the Gaza Strip and grew up in a war zone, while M. sat. He cries while his case is pending.

Six other suspects are scheduled to appear at a later stage.

Three of these suspects are minors and their cases will be heard behind closed doors.

In an emotional press conference the morning after the riots, Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said the city had been “hard hit” by “hateful anti-Semitic rioters.”

However, Halsema later said she regretted the comparison she drew between the violence and “memories of massacres”, saying the word had been used as propaganda.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the violence at the time as a “deliberate anti-Semitic attack.”