A man who bound and drowned his teenage daughter in a brutal act of honor killing has been given a 30-year prison sentence in his absence. Khaled al Najjar, aged 53, fled the Netherlands shortly after the discovery of his 18-year-old daughter Ryan’s body in a remote nature reserve near Lelystad, approximately 40 miles northeast of Amsterdam. His two sons, Mohamed, 23, and Muhanad, 25, were also convicted for their involvement in their sister’s death and each received a 20-year sentence.
According to court proceedings, Ryan was picked up by her brothers from a friend’s house in Rotterdam in May 2024 under the guise of protecting her from their enraged father. However, they were following Khaled’s orders to take her to deep water, weigh her body down, and leave her to perish. Only Muhanad was present during the sentencing, as both brothers had previously denied any part in the crime.
The court imposed a sentence on Khaled exceeding the prosecution’s recommendation by five years, the maximum penalty for an individual convicted of single murder in the Netherlands. However, Khaled’s whereabouts in Syria, a country lacking an extradition treaty with the Netherlands, may prevent the enforcement of the sentence. The family had criticized Ryan for her “Western behavior,” leading to the tragic outcome, a fact deemed inconceivable by the judge who highlighted Khaled’s lack of accountability.
Evidence linking DNA and phone records to Khaled and Muhanad established their direct involvement in Ryan’s demise. Despite Mohamed’s peripheral role in the incident, the court emphasized his complicity in the crime. The trio’s primary focus after the murder was to construct a false narrative around Ryan’s disappearance and evade detection. Khaled’s denial of his sons’ participation was dismissed by the judge, who suspected him of shielding them from prosecution by taking responsibility from a distant location.
