Two men arrested for murder Ryan al Najjar (18)

Ryan al Najjar
Age: 18
Murdered: May 2024
Place of residence: Joure
Origin: Syria
Children: none
Perpetrators: Father, brother

Together with her parents, siblings, Ryan al Najjar fled from Idlib, Syria, to Turkey in 2012 because of the war, where they lived in a refugee camp for two years.

One of the sons then fled to the Netherlands, where the family was reunited after a year. They were given a house in the Frisian town of Joure and said they were very happy with their new life. Ryan al Najjar was 11 years old at the time and attended elementary school in Joure.

On the morning of May 28, 2024, the body of 18-year-old Ryan al Najjar was found in the water on the Knardijk in Lelystad. She died as a result of a crime.

On June 3, police arrested two men for involvement in the crime: a 24-year-old man from Leeuwarden and a 22-year-old man from Leeuwarden. The latter is said to be a brother of Ryan.

The motive is obstruction of a forced marriage; Ryan was supposed to be married off at 18, but she didn't want to because she was in love with a Dutch boy. Ryan comes from a strict Islamic family. Father Khaled (52) reportedly rushed out of the Netherlands after the murder, presumably to Turkey, where he told relatives what he had done and where to find his daughter's body.

What is an honour killing?

An honour killing is a murder in the name of honour. If a brother murders his sister to restore family honour, it is an honour killing. According to activists, the most common reasons for honour killings are as the victim:

refuses to cooperate in an arranged marriage.
wants to end the relationship.
was the victim of rape or sexual assault.
was accused of having a sexual relationship outside of marriage.

Human rights activists believe that 100,000 honour killings are carried out every year, most of which are not reported to the authorities and some are even deliberately covered up by the authorities themselves, for example because the perpetrators are good friends with local policemen, officials or politicians. Violence against girls and women remains a serious problem in Pakistan, India, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Iran, Serbia and Turkey.