“Only a prison sentence is appropriate”: Five men sentenced for violence against Israeli fans in Amsterdam

The Amsterdam court on Tuesday, December 24, sentenced five men for violence and complicity in violence against Israeli football fans in November, during attacks that had been described as anti-Semitic by many Western governments.

Amsterdam prosecutors found the five men guilty of a range of crimes ranging from kicking Maccabi Tel Aviv fans in the street to inciting violence in online chat rooms.

The court handed down sentences of six months, 10 weeks and one month in prison, as well as 100 hours of community service.

Sefa Ö, 32, received the harshest sentence, for chasing, pushing and hitting several Israeli fans, including one who was already on the ground, according to footage shown in court.

Five people briefly hospitalized

The judge said that usually, people convicted of such crimes were sentenced to perform community service.

“But the court considers that, given the seriousness of the offence and the context in which it was committed, only a prison sentence is appropriate”, she added.

On the night of November 7-8, supporters of the Israeli club were chased and beaten in the streets of Amsterdam, on the sidelines of a football match against the local team Ajax. Five people were briefly hospitalized.

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The images of this violence went around the world and provoked a furious reaction from Israel.

The prosecution sentenced Umutcan A., 24, to one month in prison for attacking fans and violently ripping a Maccabi scarf from one of them.

The young man was also identified as the author of a WhatsApp message referring to a “Jew hunt”.

“I don't hate Jews at all, I can't tell you why I said that”, he told the court during his appearance.

Investigation of 45 people

Lucas D., 19, the only defendant present at the judgment on Tuesday, received a sentence of 100 hours of community service for throwing stones at the police and illegal possession of fireworks. fireworks.

Tensions were high before the football match. Police said anti-Arab slogans were chanted by Israeli fans, who also vandalized a taxi and burned a Palestinian flag.

Police said they were investigating at least 45 people in connection with the violence, including Maccabi fans accused of provocative behavior.

The arraignment of another suspect, originally from the Gaza Strip, was postponed to an undisclosed date while he undergoes a psychological evaluation, prosecutors said.
The 22-year-old is being tried for attempted manslaughter, the most serious charge in the cases.

Six other suspects are due to appear in court at a later date. Three of them are minors and their hearings will take place behind closed doors.