Four people have been jailed over violence during the unrest that followed a Europa League match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv in Amsterdam. The first wave of verdicts in the case handed the longest sentence, six months, to 32-year-old Sefa Ö, while three others received shorter prison terms and a fifth defendant was given community service under juvenile law.
The Amsterdam district court said prison was appropriate given the seriousness of the violence and the context in which it took place. The riots broke out in several parts of the Dutch capital in early November and drew international condemnation after fans visiting for the football match came under attack.
The court said there was extensive video evidence showing Maccabi supporters facing extreme violence. It also said the wider atmosphere mattered, including footage of some supporters pulling down Palestinian flags and chanting anti-Arab slogans, as well as vandalism by fans. Even so, the judge stressed there was no justification for using physical violence against Israeli supporters.
Sefa Ö was found to have delivered a karate-style kick to one victim, causing him to fall against a moving tram, and to have taken part in several other attacks. Prosecutors said he played a leading role in violence that had nothing to do with football.
Another defendant, Rachid O, received 10 weeks. The court said he was part of a WhatsApp group used to share information about the attacks and that he referred to intended victims as cowardly Jews. Umutcan A was also jailed after video and CCTV evidence showed him kicking, choking and robbing fans of a scarf.
The youngest defendant, Lucas D, received a juvenile-community sentence after being found to have used violence against a police officer and taken part in a Snapchat group calling for violence against Maccabi fans. The fifth defendant, Karanveer S, was also convicted, and the court noted he had a previous assault conviction.
Prosecutors had argued that the attacks were antisemitic and organised through messaging groups. Chief prosecutor René de Beukelaer, however, rejected the idea that the attacks amounted to terrorism, saying the aim was not to instil fear in the wider public, even though antisemitic language appeared in the chats.
The case has become a test of how Dutch courts handle politically charged street violence linked to football and the Gaza war. The judge noted that the context was relevant but not a defence. That distinction is important because the violence was not treated as spontaneous fan disorder alone; it was tied to organised targeting of visiting supporters.
The defendants have two weeks to appeal. More trials are expected as the Dutch justice system continues to work through the aftermath of the Amsterdam unrest, which left Jewish and Israeli visitors frightened and prompted scrutiny of public order, antisemitism and online coordination of attacks.
