Dutch Prosecutors Seek 25-Year Sentence for Father, 20 Years for Sons in Ryan Al Najjar Honor Killing Case

Dutch prosecutors have demanded a 25-year prison sentence for Khaled Al Najjar and 20-year sentences for his sons, Mohamed and Muhanad Al Najjar, in the honor killing of 18-year-old Ryan Al Najjar. Ryan's body was discovered in a swamp in Lelystad on May 28, 2024, six days after she disappeared from her family home in Joure, bound and gagged. The Public Prosecution Service formally designated her murder as an honor killing, citing her "Western behavior" and refusal to wear a headscarf as motives.

According to prosecutors, Ryan's father, Khaled Al Najjar, orchestrated the murder because her lifestyle choices brought "shame" upon the family. He allegedly enlisted his sons to pick up Ryan, drive her to a remote location, and throw her into the water. Khaled Al Najjar has since fled to Syria and is being tried in absentia, with Dutch authorities facing difficulties in securing his extradition.

The case has drawn significant attention, with social media users highlighting the tragic circumstances. As one tweet by Samantha Smith stated, "A teenage girl in the Netherlands was just murdered by her father and brothers after refusing to wear a hijab. Ryan Al Najjar was just 18 years old." The tweet further detailed, "Her family bound with tape and drowned in a ditch because she wasn’t following a 'Muslim lifestyle' and had decided to stop wearing the hijab."

Evidence presented in court includes Khaled Al Najjar's DNA found under Ryan's fingernails, suggesting a struggle. Intercepted chat messages among the family members also indicate their involvement and discussions about punishing Ryan for her perceived transgressions. While Khaled reportedly sent emails to Dutch media confessing to the murder and claiming his sons were innocent, prosecutors dispute this, asserting the brothers' active participation.

The brothers, Mohamed, 23, and Muhanad, 25, deny their involvement, attributing the murder solely to their father. Despite their claims, prosecutors maintain that "Khaled was the driving force, but without his sons, Ryan would not have been there at all." The verdict in this high-profile case is expected on January 5, 2026.

This incident underscores the ongoing challenges of honor-related violence in Europe. Reports indicate that such abuses have seen a rise over the past decades, with the Netherlands providing police protection to at least five women annually at risk of honor killings. Ryan Al Najjar herself had received police protection, which was unfortunately terminated shortly before her death.