The 22-year-old Mohamed B. from Vleuten was sentenced on Thursday to forty months in prison, ten of which are suspended. In May of last year, he destroyed 117 graves in a cemetery in Utrecht.
In addition, B. was suspected of participating in a terrorist organization and preparing a terrorist offense. The court found that the former could not be proven, but the latter could. Due to the partial acquittal, the imposed sentence is lower than the five years in prison demanded by the Public Prosecution Service.
According to the court, B. caused “havoc” at Daelwijck cemetery in the Overvecht district. “Also in an emotional sense,” the judge continued, saying that the destruction had affected many relatives and led to “incomprehension, anger, and sorrow.”
B. recorded the destruction of twenty graves on video. The man admitted in the courtroom that he had committed those destructions. Regarding his share in the remaining destructions, he kept silent or denied involvement. According to the court, he largely refused to take responsibility.
The destroyed graves still led to intense emotions. This became clear during the trial against B. on May 22. At the start of the hearing, two men from the audience tried to attack the suspect. The police were able to prevent the men from reaching B. The two were forcibly removed from the room. B. was not present at the verdict on Thursday.
B. wanted to join IS
The court further found that there was enough evidence to convict B. for preparing a terrorist offense. In 2023, he wanted to travel to Somalia to join the terrorist group Islamic State (IS). There, he wanted to fight in the “offensive jihad” and die as a martyr. Although, according to the judges, he was in the process of joining a terrorist organization, he ultimately did not travel.
The court imposed a long list of special conditions that B. must adhere to during his three-year probationary period. For example, he is not allowed to be near an airport to prevent departure. He must also stay away from Daelwijck cemetery. Furthermore, B. is not allowed to use social media. As soon as he is released, he will be monitored with an ankle bracelet.