A disturbing honor killing case in the Netherlands has drawn international attention as Dutch prosecutors seek lengthy prison sentences for a father and his two sons accused of drowning 18-year-old Ryan Al Najjar over her “Western” lifestyle. Prosecutors say the killing was driven by extremist family beliefs that the young woman’s behavior brought shame to her strict Islamic household.
Authorities discovered Al Najjar’s body on May 28, 2024, in a lake near Joure with her hands and feet tightly bound. Investigators believe she was killed on May 22 after her father and brothers concluded she “was a young woman who wanted to live her own life.” Prosecutors said, “They saw Ryan as a burden that had to be removed.” Local media identified the suspects as brothers Mohamed and Muhanad and their father, 53-year-old Khaled.
Prosecutors reported that the “immediate cause” of the murder appeared to be a TikTok video showing Al Najjar without a headscarf and wearing makeup, which the family claimed “seriously embarrasses the family.” Authorities say the brothers drove from Rotterdam, convinced her to leave with them, and brought her to a remote area where “no one for miles around could have heard her” cries. Evidence showed both strangulation and drowning, and roughly 60 feet of tape had been used to bind her before she was thrown into the water alive.
Investigators also found the father’s DNA under her fingernails. Prosecutors stated that “[Khaled] fled to Syria immediately after the murder and left his sons to take the blame. Cowardly.” Dutch officials believe extradition may be difficult because he reportedly married after arriving in Syria.
The Public Prosecution Service recommended a 25-year prison sentence for the father and 20 years for each brother. Prosecutors emphasized that the killing was rooted in a rigid ideology that viewed a young woman’s personal choices—such as refusing to wear a headscarf—as grounds for murder. The court is expected to issue a ruling on Jan. 5.
The case highlights ongoing concerns in Europe about extremist violence within immigrant communities and underscores the challenges faced by authorities when victims are targeted for rejecting strict cultural or religious norms.
