Syrian Brothers on Trial for Drowning Sister in ‘Honour Killing’ over Western Ways

Prosecutors in the Netherlands have opened the trial of two Syrian brothers accused of murdering their 18-year-old sister, Ryan Al Najjar, in a brutal honour killing motivated by her adoption of Western behaviours, including having a boyfriend that shamed the family. The brothers, Mohamed (23) and Muhanad Al Najjar (25), allegedly bound her hands behind her back, taped her ankles, gagged her, and threw her into a swamp in Lelystad to drown, following orders from their father, Khaled Al Najjar (52), who fled to Syria. Ryan’s body was discovered by a passerby on May 28, 2024, six days after she vanished from the family home in Joure, Friesland, with forensic evidence revealing her father’s DNA under her fingernails from a desperate struggle. ​

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The family, originally from Idlib, Syria, fled war in 2012 via Turkey to the Netherlands, where they resettled happily in Joure; Ryan had arrived as an 11-year-old and integrated into local schooling. Prosecutors cite family WhatsApp messages showing premeditation, dismissing the brothers’ claims and their father’s emails to De Telegraaf confessing sole responsibility as attempts to shield them. Ryan had prior police protection that was mysteriously lifted beforehand, sparking scrutiny over safeguarding failures in honour-based violence cases, which Dutch authorities log at 2,500-3,000 incidents yearly, including 7-17 fatalities. ​​

Khaled faces trial in absentia from northern Syria, where cooperation barriers block extradition, as Dutch officials confirm no viable channels exist despite Syrian disputes. The brothers remain in custody since their June 2024 arrests, denying involvement and insisting their father acted alone. This case underscores rising concerns over honour-related crimes in Europe, blending cultural clashes, family control, and justice limits.