The Public Prosecution Service demanded a 4.5-year prison sentence at the court in The Hague on Wednesday against 48-year-old Johannes A., for his role as leader and instigator in the violent riots in The Hague on February 17. Two co-defendants heard demands for six and eight months in prison, of which two months conditional.

At a conference centre on the Fruitweg, a demonstration by a group of several hundred Eritreans degenerated into a pitched battle with the police. The Eritreans, opponents of the totalitarian regime in their homeland, wanted to prevent a meeting in the conference centre of another group, regime-loyal Eritreans.

The riots caused 750,000 euros in damage. Cars and a coach went up in flames. Dozens of police officers filed a report. Many of them said they had never experienced such violent violence before.

According to the Public Prosecution Service, A. was also guilty of incitement surrounding similar disturbances in Germany in 2023. He was also involved in setting fire to the coach.

In July, the court sentenced ten other suspects to a maximum of twelve months in prison, part of which was conditional. The case against a fourth suspect was postponed by the court, because the man only hired a lawyer on Wednesday.