23 August 2007

THE HAGUE – The Haaglanden police have arrested a 17-year-old man suspected of attacking Ehsan Jami. The teenager from Leidschendam is believed to have beaten and kicked Jami on 4 August in Voorburg. The public prosecution department announced this on Thursday.

The police tracked down the suspect based on information from Jami, who heads the committee for ex-Muslims. The public prosecution department is not ruling out further arrests.

The Leidschendam resident will have to appear before the examining magistrate on Friday on suspicion of public violence.

Jami, who serves on the Leidschendam-Voorburg city council as a member of the Labour party PvdA, was ambushed by three men of ethnic background after a visit to the supermarket.

He was assaulted twice and sworn at. This was the third time that Jami has been attacked recently.

The 22-year-old man, originally from Iran, hopes his committee can help Muslims who have turned away from their faith and put topics like domestic violence and human rights violations – taboos in Muslim society – on the agenda.

Jami was moved to a heavily secured residence last week after receiving repeated death threats since the attack.

[Copyright Expatica News + ANP 2007]

Subject: Dutch news