Title: Man with Leading Role in Eritrean Riots in The Hague Sentenced to Four Years in Jail
Summary: The court in The Hague sentenced 48-year-old Johannes A. to four years in prison for his leading role in the riots that occurred on February 17, 2024, during a protest against a meeting of Eritreans loyal to the regime in the country. The demonstration turned violent and resulted in a battle with police that lasted for hours, causing 750,000 euros in damage. Cars and a tour coach were burned, and dozens of police officers were injured. Two fellow suspects received seven months in prison each, with two months of those sentences conditionally suspended. Johannes A. was also charged with insulting and threatening an Eritrean woman and two cases of sedition. The court honored claims for damages submitted by officers and convicted ten other suspects to a maximum of 12 months in prison in July with a part of those sentences conditionally suspended. Another 20 rioters will be in court for the riots in October and the beginning of November.
Sources: NL Times, ANP
Additional Information: The location of the meeting of the Nederlandse Federatie Eritrese Gemeenschappen, the Dutch Federation of Eritrean Communities in English (The Hague event center), had been kept secret but was discovered by a group of opponents to the Eritrean regime. According to the court, Johannes A. is a leading figure within the part of the Eritrean community that opposes the current regime. He gave a speech to others in the Zuiderpark after the riots, which included glorifying the violence. Many opponents of the regime take his statements seriously because of his authority.
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