Dutch court admits screenshots into Tarwekamp explosion case

The screenshots contained instructions for the attack and were found on a phone belonging to Moshtag B., the man suspected of commissioning it, Dutch news agency ANP reported. Police had already found the same images on the laptop of co-defendant Mourad B., according to the agency.

ANP reported that prosecutors had held the evidence back during preparations for the trial and asked to add it to the case file after the first day of hearings. The court agreed despite objections from lawyers for two co-defendants. Mourad B.’s lawyer, Feride Tosun, objected to the late addition of documents.

When questioned about the allegation, Moshtag B. responded with words that translate as “That could be right”, ANP reported.

Six people died in the explosion at Tarwekamp in The Hague on 7 December 2024, and several homes collapsed or were badly damaged. Four defendants are on trial.

On the first day of the hearing, Moshtag B. said the original plan had been to steal wedding dresses and that the others were largely responsible for its escalation. His three co-defendants disputed his account, broadcaster Omroep Brabant reported.

The court’s provisional timetable puts the verdict in January 2027.