Five men accused of participating in the violence surrounding the Amsterdam riots against Israelis in November were sentenced to up to six months in prison and community service, Dutch media reported on Tuesday.
The violent attacks against the Israelis followed a soccer match between Maccabi Tel Aviv and Ajax in Amsterdam.
The sentences given were more severe than usual, due to the “sort of violent offenses” that occurred, according to DutchNews. The court reportedly said that prison sentencing was appropriate “given the seriousness of the facts and the context they took place in.”
The report also elaborated that three of the men were found guilty of violent assault, while the other two men had shared information in a Whatsapp group that contributed to the violence.
The men were named in the DutchNews report as Sefa O, Lucas D, Umutcan A, Rachid O, and Karavan S.
It added that Sefa O was given a six-month sentence, subtracting the time he had already been in custody, while Umutcan A was jailed for one month. Lucas D, aged 19, was tried under juvenile law and given 100 hours of community service.
Rachid O circulated the messages on WhatsApp and was reportedly jailed for ten weeks, while Karavan S was given a one-month sentence for the same offense.
The report noted that a total of seven suspects had appeared in court earlier this month, but two of the cases were delayed. In one case, the defense requested more time to prepare evidence. In the other case, which involved a Palestinian refugee accused of “attempted manslaughter,” the man was adjourned pending a psychiatric evaluation.
Response to the sentencing
The sentencing led to criticism because it was less severe than the prosecutor’s demands, according to a report from Dutch news outlet De Telegraaf.
The Center for Information and Documentation Israel (CIDI) Director Naomi Mestrum called the less harsh sentencing “a regrettable signal” when “considering the antisemitic nature of the attack.”
However, Mestrum added that she approved of prison sentences ultimately being imposed.
“There was no justification for the actions of that night. With this ruling, society draws a clear line that such behavior is unacceptable and that we do not tolerate this violence,” she said.