Dutch court finds five men guilty over violence against Israeli fans

The Amsterdam district court has convicted five individuals for their involvement in the violence against Maccabi Tel Aviv soccer fans that occurred in Amsterdam last month. 

The violent events surrounding the early November Europa League match shocked the world and led to accusations of anti-Semitism, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

The court found the five men guilty of various offenses, including physically assaulting Maccabi Tel Aviv supporters on the streets and inciting violence through messaging platforms.

One of the men, identified only as Sefa O., received the most severe sentence of six months in prison for public violence against multiple victims. Prosecutors described him as having played a "leading role" in the incidents. The court reviewed footage showing Sefa O. allegedly kicking a person on the ground, chasing victims, and punching others in the head and body. 

Despite the violent nature of the attacks, the prosecutor emphasized that the violence was not connected to football and did not appear to be motivated by anti-Semitic sentiments or terrorist intentions. He explained that the violence was influenced by the ongoing situation in Gaza, rather than by anti-Semitism. 

One individual, Umutcan A., 24, was sentenced to one month in prison for attacking fans and violently ripping a Maccabi scarf from one of them. A 22-year-old man, Abushabab M., is facing attempted murder charges, though his case has been delayed for a psychiatric evaluation. His lawyer explained that the defendant, born in Gaza, had grown up in a war zone. 

Six other suspects are set to appear in court later, with three of them being minors whose cases will be heard privately. Police have indicated that they are investigating at least 45 individuals in connection with the violence, including some Maccabi fans involved in the incidents.

On the night of November 7 and into the following morning, fans of the Israeli club Maccabi Tel Aviv were pursued and assaulted through the streets of Amsterdam after the team played a match against local club Ajax. The violent incidents left five people briefly hospitalized. The attacks followed a series of provocations by Maccabi supporters, including chanting anti-Arab slogans, smashing a taxi, and setting fire to a Palestinian flag. 

By Naila Huseynova