Suspect threatened to kill Dutch PM Mark Rutte, court documents show

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte pictured at the Elysee Palace in Paris in August.
Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte pictured at the Elysee Palace in Paris in August. Copyright AP Photo/Lewis Joly, file
Copyright AP Photo/Lewis Joly, file
By AP
Share this articleComments
Share this articleClose Button

A man arrested in July had threatened to kill Dutch caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte, according to court documents.

ADVERTISEMENT

A man arrested in the Netherlands had threatened to kill caretaker Prime Minister Mark Rutte, according to court documents.

The 22-year-old suspect - identified only as Yavus O - was detained by police in July this year.

He had allegedly used a channel on the messaging app Telegram to post incitements to violence, according to the daily newspaper De Volkskrant.

Dutch law enforcement officials shut down the Telegram channel this week.

The suspect has now been charged with incitement to a terrorist crime, gathering intelligence for a terrorist crime, and threatening a terrorist crime, according to documents seen by the Associated Press. Prosecutors plan to have his detention extended while investigations continue.

The revelations are the latest development in a series of threats made against politicians in the Netherlands.

Last month, Rutte was reportedly given extra security amid concerns of a possible attack by members of the criminal underworld.

Rutte's conservative government has vowed to crack down on organised crime but he himself has maintained a limited level of personal protection since taking office.

The Dutch caretaker prime minister is known for cycling around The Hague to travel to meetings and visits with King Willem-Alexander.

A politician in the Hague was also arrested last month on suspicion of involvement in a plot to assassinate Rutte.

Meanwhile on Tuesday, a 42-year-old man was sentenced to five months imprisonment for making online threats against Dutch Foreign Minister Sigrid Kaag and Health Minister Hugo de Jonge.

Far-right Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders has also lived for years with constant protection due to death threats.

Share this articleComments

You might also like

Dutch PM Mark Rutte questioned after deleting text messages for years

Dutch journalist targeted in Molotov cocktail attack

Dutch journalist Peter De Vries has died of his injuries, says his family