The trial of five suspects began on Wednesday for the lynching that took place after the soccer match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in the UEFA Europa League, a month and three days after the pro-Palestinian assault in Amsterdam.
One of the suspects, a 22-year-old, is accused of attempted murder and has been in custody since November 19 (11 days after the incident). The others, between the ages of 19 and 32, are charged with several offenses, including "committing acts of violence against the public," incitement to violence and spreading antisemitic messages in a WhatsApp group.
According to Dutch outlet Trouw, two more suspects are expected to begin their trial on Thursday.
Last week, the Amsterdam police released a photo of 12 suspects – 11 men and one woman – on television calling on them to turn themselves in. In the footage, the female suspect is seen holding a Maccabi Tel Aviv fan by the neck and others are recorded kicking other fans.
The images were blurred and the police said that the suspects were involved in several incidents following the match between the two teams.
Dozens of Maccabi Tel Aviv fans were attacked after their team's 5-0 loss at the Amsterdam Arena. One victim, a 30-year-old, said: "I had just finished four months of reserve duty in Gaza and what I experienced there was no less frightening. They ran me over and pulled a knife on me. It was an ambush. I saw children being hit. We just wanted to fly home."
Footage of Israelis being attacked in Amsterdam
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"They were waiting for us at every corner, lurking with motorcycles and cars," another fan added. "They asked where we were from, then ran us over or blocked our way. If you didn’t answer, they beat you up. The police themselves hit us with batons."