THE HAGUE, July 23 (Xinhua) – A 32-year-old
refugee from Syria who stabbed three people in The Hague on May 5, 2018 has
been acquitted on Monday of attempted murder and threat with a terrorist
purpose.
The judge of Court of The Hague sentenced
him to compulsory treatment in a mental institution for an indefinite period.
He is not sentenced to jail because the
court considers him completely unaccountable.
The court said it is proven that he stabbed
three people to kill them and threatened two people with death, but not out of
a terrorist motive, or from the desire to frighten the Dutch population, but
from his psychotic disorder.
The incident took place at the Johanna
Westerdijk square in The Hague on Dutch Liberation Day last year.
The man stabbed three people with a knife
and was arrested after being shot in the leg by the police.
At that time the police stated that the man
was known to the police for confused behavior, but not for terrorism.Â
Therefore he was at first only suspected of
threatening and attempted murder, with a possible terrorist intent being
investigated.
According to some witnesses, the suspect had
shouted “Allahu Akbar”, meaning God is greater, during the incident.
After the incident the public prosecutor
revealed that the police had received an anonymous letter in March 2018 with a
warning that the man had plans to commit a terrorist attack.
This letter was also shared with experts of
the municipality of The Hague and the General Intelligence and Security Service
of the Netherlands (AIVD).
At that time this anonymous letter, without
further confirmation from the investigation, was no reason for an arrest or to
mark the man as a potential terrorist.
Then the court in The Hague added the
suspicion of attempted murder and threat with a terrorist purpose in July last
year.
The lawyer of the Syrian refugee has always
stated that his client had no terrorist motive. Â Â
GNA
