A father who murdered his teenage daughter in a so-called 'honour killing' because he believed she had become too westernised has been sentenced to 30 years in prison.
A Brutal Murder in a Nature Reserve
Ryan al Najjar, who had just turned 18, was found bound, gagged, and face down in a pond at the Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve in the Netherlands. Her body was discovered wrapped in a shocking 18 metres of duct tape. Forensic evidence, including her father's DNA under her fingernails and on the tape, proved crucial to the case.
The court heard that Ryan's father, Khaled al Najjar, carried out the killing with the assistance of her two brothers, Muhanad, 25, and Muhamad, 24. The brothers drove Ryan to the isolated spot and left her alone with their father. Data from their mobile phones and algae on their shoes placed them at the scene.
Chilling Texts and a Family's Fear
In a sinister twist, evidence indicated Ryan was still alive when thrown into the water. After the murder, Khaled sent a chilling text message to his family, stating: "My mistake was not digging a hole for her."
The family had fled war-torn Syria eight years earlier and claimed asylum in the Netherlands, settling in Joure. However, Ryan's mother, Sumaia al Najjar, described her husband as a violently abusive man who controlled the household through fear. "He was a violent man. He used to break things and beat me and his children up," she told the Daily Mail.
According to her mother, Ryan began to rebel around the age of 15, wanting to fit in with Dutch society. "She stopped wearing scarfs and started smoking. She had many friends, boys and girls," she said. Khaled was reportedly angered by her behaviour, including making TikTok videos and flirting with boys.
Justice Served in Absentia
Khaled al Najjar fled to Syria after the murder, where he is now living with another woman. He was tried in absentia by a court with five judges and received the maximum sentence of 30 years. His wife has expressed a desperate hope that he will be extradited back to the Netherlands to serve his punishment.
Ryan's two brothers were both convicted for their role in assisting the murder. Each was sentenced to 20 years in prison for their part in the horrific crime.
One of Ryan's sisters, Iman, 27, also spoke out, describing their father as "a temperamental and unjust man" who created an atmosphere of tension and fear. She revealed Ryan had been bullied at school for wearing a hijab, which led to a change in her behaviour and subsequent conflict with their father.
