18-year-old Ryan, a daughter of a family of immigrants from Syria, was brutally murdered by her brother and father • The family members “considered her a burden that needed to be removed” after she appeared in a video with makeup and without a hijab • She was bound and gagged, leaving signs of a struggle • Her father fled to Syria, her brothers appeared in court
Holland is shocked by the details of the brutal murder of Ryan A-Najjar, an 18-year-old Syrian girl, who was found dead chained and gagged in a swamp in the Lilstad area, about 40 km northeast of Amsterdam. Her body was discovered on May 28, 2024, six days after she disappeared from her home – and since then a horrific story of violence within the Muslim family that immigrated to the country has been coming to light.
Ryan’s two brothers, Muhammad (23) and Mohand (25), are now on trial, and the indictment claims that they murdered their sister after they thought her behavior was “too Western”. According to the Dutch prosecutor’s office, the brothers tied and strangled her, then threw her into the water while she was still alive, and this was because they found out she had a boyfriend – which they defined as a “disgrace” to the family.
The prosecution claims that the immediate background to the murder was a live video on TikTok in which Ryan was seen with makeup and without a hijab. According to the investigating officers, the family members saw this as a serious embarrassment and a deviation from the traditional norms they adhered to. It is also claimed that Ryan was under surveillance and protection by the police before the murder, but her protection was terminated shortly before she disappeared.
The brothers claim: “The father murdered her alone”
According to evidence collected, father Khaled a-Najjar, 53 years old, is accused of having ordered the execution of the murder and even participated in it. He fled to Syria immediately after the incident, and since then it is claimed that he is staying in the north of the country and has even remarried. The prosecution intends to conduct a trial against him in his absence.
The father sent two emails to the media in the Netherlands and claimed that he alone was responsible for his daughter’s death and that his sons were innocent, but the prosecutors rejected his claim. It is believed that the father ordered his sons to pick up Ryan from Rotterdam, where she was staying, and then brought her to a remote area where he joined them. From there, it is claimed, she was taken to her death.
Lab tests found the father’s DNA under Ryan’s fingernails, which may indicate she tried to fight him off before she was killed.
“No one could hear her cries”
According to the findings of the investigation, Ryan was taken to an isolated place where “no one could hear her cries”. The killers used more than 20 meters of duct tape to tie her up. Her body showed signs of strangulation and drowning.
The prosecutor’s office in the Netherlands has officially determined that this is a “murder for the honor of the family”. This is not a completely rare case in the country: every year, according to the estimate, five women are under heavy protection for fear of murder for this reason.
Fight for extradition – and the expected punishments
The Netherlands announced that it currently has no legal way to bring the father back for prosecution, because it has no active legal cooperation with the new government in Syria. On the other hand, the Syrian Minister of Justice, Mazar A-Weis, claimed that the legal system in his country has been “fully restored” and that Syria has already handled requests for assistance from Europe. According to him, Syria is “ready” to cooperate and has not received any request on the matter from the Netherlands.
The prosecution in the Netherlands requests that the father be sentenced to 25 years in prison, and the two brothers – 20 years in prison each. “They saw Brian as a burden that needed to be removed,” the prosecutor’s office said. “Only because she was a young woman who wanted to live her life as she chose.” The verdict is expected to be handed down on January 5.