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Dutch Prosecutors Seek Long Prison Terms in Alleged 'Honor' Killing of 18‑Year‑Old

Dutch prosecutors have asked for heavy prison terms after charging a Syrian father and his two sons over the death of 18-year-old Ryan Al Najjar, whose bound body was found in a lake near Joure on May 28. Prosecutors say the killing was allegedly motivated by the family's view that she was behaving 'too Western,' following a live TikTok video showing her without a headscarf. Forensic findings reportedly indicate strangulation and drowning; the father's DNA was reportedly found under her fingernails. Sentencing recommendations are 25 years for the father and 20 years for each son.

03:46 PM, 12/01/2025Society
Dutch Prosecutors Seek Long Prison Terms in Alleged 'Honor' Killing of 18‑Year‑Old

Summary: Dutch prosecutors have asked a court to impose lengthy prison sentences on a Syrian father and his two sons who are accused of killing their 18-year-old relative, Ryan Al Najjar, allegedly because they believed she was living too 'Western' a lifestyle.

What prosecutors say happened

Authorities recovered the body of Ryan Al Najjar submerged in a lake near Joure in the northern Netherlands on May 28, 2024. Her hands and feet were tightly bound; prosecutors say she had been missing for six days and that the killing most likely occurred on May 22.

'They saw Ryan as a burden that had to be removed. Just because she was a young woman who wanted to live her own life,' the Public Prosecution Service said.

Allegations and motive

Prosecutors allege the suspects, described by investigators as members of a strict Islamic family, targeted Al Najjar after she refused to wear a headscarf in public and appeared without one in a live TikTok video. According to the charges, family members felt deeply embarrassed by the video and believed her behaviour was too 'Western.'

Timeline and evidence

Investigators say the brothers travelled to Rotterdam and persuaded Al Najjar to accompany them the night before her death. She was driven to a remote area at Knardijk, where their father later joined them. Forensic findings reportedly show signs of both strangulation and drowning, and investigators say about 60 feet of tape had been used to bind her before she was thrown into the water while still alive. DNA matching the father was reportedly found under the victim's fingernails, which prosecutors say suggests his presence during the attack.

Charges, suspects and legal developments

Local reports identify the suspects as brothers Mohamed and Muhanad Al Najjar (aged 22 and 24) and their father, 53-year-old Khaled. All three have been charged with murder. Prosecutors allege the father orchestrated the killing and then fled, likely to Syria; authorities say extradition could be complicated by reports he remarried there after the death.

The Public Prosecution Service has recommended a 25-year sentence for the father and 20-year sentences for each of the two sons. The court is scheduled to issue its ruling on Jan. 5.

Context and caution

These are allegations brought by prosecutors and the suspects are entitled to a presumption of innocence until proven guilty in court. The case has drawn attention because prosecutors describe the motive as related to family honour and perceived clashes between traditional values and a younger family member's lifestyle.

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