A group of young Amsterdam residents allegedly took two peers hostage, severely assaulted and threatened them on January 2 and 6, 2023, in alternating compositions. Justice is demanding nine to 20 months in prison, partly suspended, against three suspects. The lawyers are asking for acquittal.
A victim was allegedly forcibly put into a car rented by a friend of one of the suspects a little after 2 a.m. on January 6, 2023, on Bos en Lommerweg in Amsterdam-West.
He was allegedly continuously beaten and threatened. He was also allegedly forced to contact his cousin via messages and voice memos to lure him to a gas station because the suspects believed they were owed money by him.
"Snatching (robbing, ed.) me anyway, snatching me anyway?" was allegedly shouted at the hostage as he was pushed to the car - on his slippers and without his keys in hand. He was allegedly driven around in the car by the suspects and, according to the prosecution, "couldn't move" as he was persistently beaten and threatened. His mother and other family members would also go down if he did not cooperate.
Body bag
In the parental home of brothers Nizar and Anwar A. (now 23 and 21 years old), on Osdorper Ban in Osdorp, the victim was allegedly put on a bed and again assaulted and threatened. Their mother allegedly said he would "end up in a body bag" and "be dumped" if he did not tell where his cousin could be found. Nizar A. called that implausible Friday during his trial because his mother speaks poor Dutch and the victim would not be proficient in Arabic or Berber.
The man was then allegedly taken back into the car, which was eventually trapped on Burgemeester De Vlugtlaan. Officers saw that the victim was "violently distressed" and had wounds on his face, as shown in photos.
Lured
On Jan. 2, another young man was allegedly already taken hostage in a car by two of the suspects on trial Friday, plus two others, one of whom has already been convicted and the other was absent due to illness.
In that case, Anwar A. allegedly lured his friend, after which he was pulled off his bicycle and put in the car. He was allegedly driven around for hours and constantly threatened and assaulted. Among other things, he was allegedly punched in the head and forced to hand over his phone and PIN numbers. Eventually, some suspects allegedly withdrew over 17,000 euros from his accounts to divide among themselves.
Suspect Soulaimane el O. (21) acknowledges that he was in the car during both hostage situations and was also driving it because he was the only one who (just) had a driver's license, but he says he did not intend the violence. He does confess to dealing in drugs leading up to his criminal case, however, as he is also still being charged.
Very systematic
The prosecutor emphasized that the suspects "acted very methodically. She demanded for Soulaimane el O., still living at home, 20 months in prison, half of which was suspended. Nizar A., who was staying in an assisted living project, as the main perpetrator of violence on Jan. 6, 2023, must receive one year in prison, half of which is suspended.
The most lenient sentence is demanded by the prosecutor against the feeble-minded Anwar A. (21): 270 days juvenile detention of which 160 days suspended, also because he was only 19 years old during the hostage-taking and still lives at home.
Lawyer Romy Adriaanse of Nizar A. asked for integral acquittal, mainly because the judges had to be 'cautious about the jumble of statements' of those involved. Moreover, her client and his brother have 'gone through a laborious and difficult period' because their father died while they had to wait a very long time for their criminal case to be heard. She hopes the court will also try Nizar A. as an adolescent, according to the juvenile justice system.
Brother Anwar A., according to his lawyer Justin Kötter, 'has gone through a significant development' since he was arrested. He has not hardened in detention, but "has instead picked up his life in the right way.
'Stupid action'
Counsel Chris Tuip of Soulaimane el O. "was shocked" by the sentence. "My client realizes very well that it was a stupid action to get into that car, but not every hostage taking is the same. The suspects were very young. He is self-employed in home care. If he has to go to jail, he will lose everything."
The suspects expressed regret, but in addition stressed that everything they have built up over the past few years would break down if they now "go back in" (receive a prison sentence, ed.).
The court will rule on Oct. 25.
