Karim el Kadi
Age: 40
Stabbed to death: February 26, 2023
Place of residence: The Hague, Netherlands
Origin: Morocco
Perpetrators: Brother of girlfriend and hitman

On April 30, 2025, the court in The Hague sentenced two men to twelve years in prison each for their involvement in the fatal stabbing of Karim el Kadi (40). The victim was stabbed on February 26, 2023, in the stairwell of his apartment building. The court concluded that the act showed clear signs of honor-based violence.

Karim el Kadi lived with the sister of Taoufik (45). According to Islamic law, they were married, but her family did not accept the relationship. In the period leading up to the incident, Karim had asked Taoufik’s father for permission to marry his daughter. That permission was denied, as residence documents for Karim would first have to be arranged. Not long afterward, Taoufik began to suspect that Karim had moved in with his sister anyway. This led to anger and ultimately to a fatal escalation.

Several weeks before the murder, Taoufik and Ismael (30) discussed a plan multiple times to harm Karim. Taoufik gave Ismael a photo of Karim, which Ismael photographed manually from Taoufik’s phone screen to avoid leaving digital traces. He also provided him with the victim’s address. Their intent: to “teach Karim a lesson” through physical violence.

On the day of the murder, Taoufik and Ismael visited Karim’s home several times. Ismael conducted reconnaissance and reported back to Taoufik. Later that day, they returned together, with Ismael carrying a shoebox. Security footage showed both men entering the stairwell of the apartment building at approximately 6:10 p.m. Neighbors then heard shouting and people running down the stairs. A neighbor saw Karim injured in the stairwell.

Camera footage revealed that Taoufik left the stairwell after 1 minute and 39 seconds, followed seven seconds later by Ismael. The neighbor reported hearing multiple people running down the stairs. Karim tried to follow his attackers, returned to lock the door, and then collapsed. He had sustained a single stab wound that caused fatal damage to his stomach, liver, intestines, and one kidney.

After the attack, both suspects returned to Taoufik’s home, where he handed Ismael 800 euros. The knife and the shoebox were never recovered. Four months later, both men were arrested. Since then, they have each blamed the other for stabbing Karim.

The court was unable to determine which of the two wielded the knife but found both suspects guilty of jointly committing manslaughter. According to the judges, they acted deliberately, following a shared plan to harm Karim with a bladed weapon. The short time they spent in the stairwell indicated a targeted action.

Karim’s death left deep scars. His partner, Taoufik’s sister, gave birth to their daughter after his passing. For Karim’s parents, the loss is unbearable. Therefore, in addition to the prison sentences, the court also ordered each parent to receive €17,500 in compensation.

The court emphasized that honor-based violence has no place in a constitutional state. “This case bears the marks of honor revenge,” the judge said. “There is absolutely no room for that within our legal order.”