Jihadist Mohammed G. of Maastricht has a "dubious first," according to the Justice Department. He is the first to stand trial in the Netherlands for crimes with a terrorist intent for the third time. This time, the Public Prosecutor's Office is demanding eight years in prison against the "hard-nosed" G.
His two years at the terrorist ward in Vught was an "inconvenient interruption" to his jihadist activities. Days after his release in October 2017, Mohammed G. (30) "simply picked up the thread" in a home in Maastricht. While he was prosecuted twice before for attempted exit to Syria, this time it is participation in a terrorist organization.
Training camp
Prosecutor Marieke Vreugdenhil outlines in quick succession how Mohammed G. is part of an international jihadist network with branches to Libya, Somalia, Syria and South Africa. Among other things this network is involved in setting up a jihadist training camp. G. is making preparations for that, talks about the purchase of missiles, weapons and drones, and looks for and finds blueprints of weapons.
G. maintains all kinds of jihadist contacts, in the Netherlands and far beyond, such as with a high-ranking IS spokesman in Africa. He manages several jihadist-tinged Telegram groups in which he spreads IS propaganda. He does all kinds of media work for IS. He manages Twitter accounts for individuals likely to reside in IS territory. By his own admission, according to chats, he helps at least 20 people travel out to Syria or Libya. In that group, he is the expert on cryptocurrency. And is working with others to raise money for a training camp and caliphate to be established in Somaliland. To do so, he is using, among other things, the stolen personal data of Rachel Saunders, who was kidnapped and murdered by his jihadist contacts in South Africa in February 2018.
That's how Mohammed G., four months after his release in 2017, comes back into the picture of investigating authorities. Initially, he was suspected of involvement in the robbery murder of botanist couple Rachel and Rodney Saunders in South Africa, but none of that was revealed as the investigation progressed.
Beheadings
He does create Paypal and mail accounts with Saunders' ID and credit card information and tries to buy bitcoins. A transaction, via Guatemala, which incidentally fails. In the chat groups, he talks about acts on behalf of dawla (state) and fighting against the kuffar (infidels). Even before his previous arrest in 2015 but also after his release in 2017 and 2018. He is also a member of an IS newsgroup on Telegram, has a link to IS video on his cell phone - which he tries to break upon his arrest - showing acts of combat and beheadings.
Dreamer
Is G. merely an "IS sympathizer," someone of grandiloquence, a dreamer but certainly not a fighter as his lawyer Serge Weening argues? No. The officer says it with a raised voice. According to her, G. is an extraordinarily hard-nosed jihadist. Someone who is on trial for terrorist acts for the third time without having been able to execute them. Back in 2012, he already had the dubious honor of being the first jihadist in the country to stand trial for attempted exit.
His Dutch citizenship will be revoked. That process is ongoing, but also worries the probation department. If G. is released, he will be deported to Iraq, his native country. Provided he is not in danger there. Otherwise he will be on the street, without supervision or a safety net. After all, he cannot claim housing, counseling or benefits because he is on the terrorism sanctions list. And that, the probation service says, would be a great danger to society.
Mohammed G. has indicated he wants to go to Iraq, or Pakistan, where his wife lives. He is not present in the Rotterdam District Court. Ill, according to his lawyer. Who gets the last word on behalf of G.. "'I want to leave here,' I'm sure he would have said that."
Ruling on Oct. 22.
