Eight-months jail sought for Amsterdam attacks accused

Dutch prosecutors on Thursday demanded an eight-month prison sentence for a man accused of beating Israeli football fans and who posted a message about a "Jew hunt" last month.

The man, only identified as Umutcan A., 24, is one of seven suspects who appeared before an Amsterdam court during two days following violence in the city around a November 7 match between Ajax and Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Maccabi supporters were attacked following social media calls to target them, prompting allegations of anti-Semitism from Dutch and Israeli politicians. Prosecutors have already sought jail terms of between six months and two years for three other suspects at the hearings.

In the latest case, the court saw images allegedly of Umutcan A. assaulting fans and violently ripping a Maccabi scarf from one of them.

"These are serious facts," said the prosecutor, who sought an eight-month jail term with three months suspended for public violence.

Umutcan A, who lives in The Hague, was identified as the author of a WhatsApp message calling for a "Jew hunt."

"I don't hate Jews at all, I can't tell you why I said that," he told the Amsterdam District Court.

Prosecutors said the violence was inspired by the conflict in Gaza and the behaviour of Maccabi fans ahead of the match.

Umutcan A. provided videos which were played during the hearing, of Maccabi fans chanting anti-Arab slogans and calling for victory for the Israeli army.

Before the match, Maccabi fans vandalised a taxi and burned a Palestinian flag during skirmishes, police said.

Prosecutors sought a one-month jail sentence for another suspect accused of being complicit in the violence for sharing the location of Israeli fans on online chat groups.

The judges are expected to hand down judgment on December 24.

The appearance of another suspect, originally from the Gaza Strip, was postponed for a psychological evaluation. The 22-year-old is accused of attempted manslaughter, the most serious charge in the cases.