Van K. is no longer required to remain in custody, having been detained since last Thursday. He has thus served the five days of his effective prison sentence. However, the resident of Leiden will still face a community service requirement of thirty hours.
According to the judge, Van K. sent private messages via Instagram to two political leaders last week. He referred to Van Baarle as a “cancerous Muslim” and threatened that if he encountered the politician, he would “knock him out, drag him into a van, hang him up, and cut him open.” This message was reported to the Threatened Politicians Team, which operates under the regional police unit in The Hague.
Additionally, police discovered a private message on Van K.’s phone directed at Timmermans, in which he threatened to kill the politician and claimed that Timmermans’ security would be unable to assist him.
Van K. denied sending the message to Van Baarle, asserting that a friend was responsible for it. He refused to disclose the identity of this friend to the court.
Regarding the message to Timmermans, Van K. chose not to comment. His lawyer argued that the police obtained that message unlawfully.
The judge acknowledged that the procedures regarding the acquisition of the message were not entirely followed. This consideration influenced the determination of the sentence. The Public Prosecution Service had sought a two-month prison sentence, with one month conditionally suspended.
The judge pointed out that Van K. will have the opportunity to vote for the first time on Wednesday. “That is indeed the way to show that you agree with one politician and disagree with another,” the judge remarked.
