A petition calling for the release of eight Eindhoven terror suspects has been signed more than 1300 times. The petition was started by relatives of the suspects. One of the signatories is a Muslim preacher who himself was also suspected of supporting IS. On Thursday the judge will decide whether the men will be detained any longer.
Nine men aged between 18 and 31 were arrested in Eindhoven at the end of September on suspicion of preparing for a terrorist attack. RTL Nieuws previously wrote that they fantasised about beheading Geert Wilders and killing Mark Rutte. According to the Public Prosecution, they are also affiliated with the Islamic State (IS). One of them has been released but is still a suspect. The others have been detained for more than four months.
Tutoring and exam training
The online petition was started by family members of the suspects. According to them, the boys did nothing wrong: “They are honourable and respected young people. They have been actively involved within the Muslim community for many years, working hard to make a positive impact on society and specifically on youth,” they write.
One of the suspects is the co-founder of the islamic student association at the Technical University Eindhoven. There he organised trips and sports tournaments, among other things. The authors of the petition also mention this and talk about exam training and tutoring that the boys would give.
Support of controversial preacher
Several signatories of the petition also praise the men. “They are good boys who don’t hurt a fly and always greet everyone nicely. Boys with a heart of gold,” someone writes, and “Top boys. Always neat. Very helpful.”
Among the supporters is the Hilversum Muslim preacher Fouad el B., alias Abou Hafs. He stands up for the men and says that a terrorist suspicion affects your whole life. He should know, el B. himself was also suspected of supporting IS in 2019.
Source: Omroep Brabant
Translated by: Anitha Sevugan
