Father, sons accused of killing teen over her ‘Western’ lifestyle

Dutch prosecutors demanded Friday that a Muslim father and his two sons face up to 25 years in prison for allegedly strangling an 18-year-old family member because they believed his “Western” behavior brought shame to the family.

According to authorities, the body of Syrian woman Ryan Al Najjar was found submerged in a lake near Joure in the north of the Netherlands on May 28, 2024, six days after she went missing, with her hands and feet tightly bound. Authorities arrested his father and two brothers, who were 22 and 24 at the time, and charged them with the killing, which prosecutors said likely occurred on May 22.

“They saw Ryan as a burden that needed to be eliminated,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement Friday. “Just because she’s a young woman who wants to live her own life.”

Authorities said her male relatives, who came from what they described as a “strict” Islamic family, allegedly killed her after believing she was “acting too Western in the eyes of her family.” Al Najjar was reportedly targeted for her refusal to wear a hijab in public.

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“The cause of death appears to be a live video on TikTok showing Ryan without her headscarf and wearing makeup,” prosecutors said in a statement Friday. he said. “According to their posts, the video severely shames the family for not conforming to their traditional views.”

“The suspects began searching for Ryan as soon as they became aware of the video,” authorities added. “According to the Prosecution Service, his brothers visited him in Rotterdam and persuaded him to come to a remote location the night before the murder. He was taken to Knardijk, where their father joined him. He was killed there.”

Local media NL Times It was stated that the brothers were Mohamed Al Najjar and Muhanad, and their 53-year-old father was Khalid. Prosecutors said all three were accused of killing the young woman, while their father was accused of organizing the murder before possibly fleeing to Syria.

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Courtroom drawing of suspects Mohammed Al N. (R) and Muhanad Al N. during the hearing in court. The two brothers and their father, Khaled Al N., are suspected of killing their sister and their daughter, Ryan Al Najjar. (Holland Hoogte/Shutterstock)

Investigators say Al Najjar was taken to a remote park where “no one for miles could hear” his cries for help. Evidence showed signs of strangulation and suffocation, and approximately 60 feet of tape had been used to tie him up before he was thrown into the water alive. Prosecutors said Khalid’s DNA was also found under his daughter’s fingernails, suggesting he was present at the time of the murder.

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Ryan Al Najjar’s body was found in the Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve in Lelystad, the Netherlands. (Pierre Crom)

“[Khaled] He fled to Syria immediately after the murder and left the blame to his sons. “Cowardly,” the Prosecutor’s Office wrote in a statement on Friday, according to the NL Times. “Khaled completely destroyed his family.”

Dutch authorities added that it may be difficult to extradite Khalid after Al Najjar’s death because he married a woman in Syria.

The prosecutor’s office recommended 25 years in prison for the father and 20 years in prison for the two brothers.

The court is scheduled to announce its decision on January 5.

Fox News Digital has contacted the DA’s Office for more information.