Trial of five suspects for violence against Israeli supporters begins in Amsterdam

The trial in Amsterdam of five men tried for violence against Israeli football supporters in November opened on Wednesday, December 11, before a Dutch court. The suspects, aged 19 to 32, will face a panel of three judges in an Amsterdam court one after the other. Two other suspects are due to appear in court on Thursday.

All seven were charged with acts of violence, Dutch prosecutors reported. On the night of November 7 to 8, after a match between Ajax Amsterdam and Maccabi Tel-Aviv, supporters of this Israeli team were attacked and assaulted in the streets of the Dutch capital. The authorities reported five people briefly hospitalized following these attacks, described as anti-Semitic by the Netherlands and several Western countries.

According to police, tensions were high before the football match. Anti-Arab slogans were chanted by Israeli supporters, who also vandalized a taxi and burned a Palestinian flag. Police said they were investigating at least 45 people in connection with the violence. “Charges were also brought against Maccabi supporters, who engaged in provocative behavior before the match”said the Dutch public prosecutor in a statement.

Three minors

The first to appear before judges on Wednesday is a 19-year-old man from the town of Monnickendam, northeast of Amsterdam. He is accused of violence committed around the Ajax stadium, the Johan Cruyff Arena. The man reportedly shouted anti-Semitic slogans and threw stones at the police. He is also accused of sharing information about violence and illegal possession of fireworks.

Later on Wednesday, a 22-year-old man from the southern Eindhoven region will appear to face the most serious charge in the cases, attempted manslaughter, the public prosecutor's office reported. . The charge against him concerns attacks committed near Dam Square, the main square in the Dutch capital, on the sidelines of the match.

In addition to the seven suspects who appear in court this week, at least six other people also face charges related to the violence that occurred that evening and in the following days. Three of these suspects are minors, and their cases will be heard behind closed doors.

The November violence in Amsterdam occurred in a context of polarization in Europe, with a rise in anti-Semitic, anti-Israeli and Islamophobic acts since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza in October 2023. Amsterdam shocked the Netherlands and sparked debate about polarization in the country.