Man faces 4 years in prison for planning terrorist attack on proposed asylum shelter

The Public Prosecution Service is seeking a four-year prison sentence, including one year suspended, for a man from Doetinchem. He is accused of planning to carry out an attack on a proposed asylum reception facility in the city. Prosecutors said the suspect was engaged in “preparing an attack with a terrorist motive.”

Last year, on the night of December eight into December nine, police received a report of vandalism and trespassing at the home of the suspect’s 37-year-old ex-partner. The man fled from police but was later arrested at a friend’s house.

The ex-girlfriend told the police that the man was asked to place heavy cobra fireworks at a future asylum center in exchange for payment. The same night in December, police found an explosive in a garage unit.

Prosecutors report that an explosive consisted of four cobras taped together and fitted with a fuse. The Defense Explosives Ordnance Disposal Service was called in to dismantle the device.

Several months prior to the incident, there were protests in Douetinchem against the arrival of an asylum center. The facility opened last summer - nearly a year after the protests.

The prosecutors concluded that the man “wanted to instill serious fear in part of the population, namely the asylum seekers who are to be housed.” “He also wanted to force the local government not to house aslyum seekers in the municipality.”

The suspect had allegedly taken photographs of the site and sent them to a group chat. He also attended the protests against the center last year.

“If there are objections or disagreements, these must be expressed and resolved through peaceful and democratic means,” the prosecution said. “The use of potential violence with a powerful explosion, as in this case, is completely incompatible with that and is unacceptable.”