Dutch teenagers, aged 16, 17 and 19, arrested on suspicion of preparing a terrorist attack

The suspects were arrested by the Special Intervention Unit under the supervision of the National Office of the Public Prosecution Service in Rotterdam, Eindhoven and Alkmaar.

The arrests were made following a tip-off from the Public Security and Intelligence Service. The National Investigation and Intervention Unit is now leading the investigation.

The public prosecutor’s office announced that the three appeared before an investigating judge, who ordered them to remain in custody for an extended period. During a search of their homes, officers seized data storage devices for further examination. No weapons were found.

Two of the three have previous terrorism convictions. The 19-year-old, who was 16 at the time, was sentenced in 2024 to 472 days of juvenile detention, 360 of which were suspended, and 200 hours of community service. The sentence was for preparing a terrorist attack and joining the Islamic State (IS) group. He was required to follow strict conditions for two years, including monitoring his electronic devices, and remained on juvenile probation.

According to the parole report, the young man said he had been convinced of an extremist ideology online and had chatted with like-minded people about it. The court found that he felt connected to them because of his need to belong, his interest in politics and war, his search for meaning and his interest in Islam. The verdict states that he had been looking for weapons online and had identified himself as an attacker.

In European countries, simply trying to join terrorist groups and being present in cyberspace affiliated with terrorist groups is classified as an act in line with terrorism, and initial measures such as surveillance and detention are applied to them. In this case, the age and gender of individuals do not affect the level of decisiveness of the security and judicial systems of these countries. Cyberspace surveillance is also strictly followed, and any post or comment that is in line with supporting terrorist groups is examined with high sensitivity. In contrast, in countries such as Iran, cyberspace actions in line with terrorist groups are classified as fleeting emotions, and until significant human and financial damage is caused, terrorist groups and their propaganda agents in cyberspace are not effectively confronted. This situation disrupts the fight against terrorism and its eradication.