Four Suspects in Rotterdam Synagogue Attack Formally Charged With Terrorism
Dutch public prosecutor accused the four young men from Tilburg of carrying out the attack with the intent to cause serious fear within the Jewish community, and prosecutors believe they were planning a second attack the same night.
The four men arrested after an explosive device was detonated at a Rotterdam synagogue last week have been formally charged with terrorism offences and will remain in pre-trial detention for at least another two weeks. The Public Prosecution Service made the announcement on Monday after the suspects appeared before an investigating judge.
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The charges
The four men, aged 19 (two), 18 and 17, are suspected of causing an explosion, arson and attempted arson, all with a terrorist motive. The prosecution service said that means the actions were aimed at instilling serious fear in a population group, in this case the Jewish community.
All four suspects come from Tilburg. They were arrested near a second synagogue shortly after the attack on the night of Thursday March 12 to Friday March 13. All four remain in full isolation, meaning they are not permitted contact with anyone outside the investigation.
How they were caught
After the explosion at the synagogue on the A.B.N. Davidsplein, police immediately dispatched a patrol car to a second synagogue on the Mozartlaan. Officers there spotted the suspects' vehicle, which they had already observed driving in the area earlier. When they stopped the car, one of the occupants matched a description from the attack. The four were arrested on the spot.
A second attack was being planned
The prosecution service said that thanks to what it described as adequate police work, a second attack was likely prevented that same night. When arrested, the suspects had a jerry can in their car. The combination of their location near a second synagogue and the presence of accelerant strongly suggested another attack was imminent.
The broader picture
Police have not ruled out a link between the Rotterdam synagogue attack and the explosion at a Jewish school in Amsterdam the following night, on the Zuidas. Justice Minister David van Weel has said it is too early to take that possibility off the table.
Both attacks have been claimed using the same symbol, linked to the Islamic movement Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamiyyah, which also claimed an attack on a synagogue in Liège, Belgium earlier that week. The Rotterdam attack involved an explosive device that caused a fire which went out on its own before emergency services arrived. Nobody was injured.
Police carried out searches at the homes of the four suspects on Friday. The investigation is continuing.
