Newspaper: Algemeen Dagblad
Section: BIBU
Date: 09/12/2009
Police takes into account honour killing – Woman (23) set on fire
SUMMARY
ZEIST The police in Utrecht have put together a 25-man strong investigation team to solve the murder of a 23-year-old woman from Zeist. She died on Monday evening after being set on fire. BART LAURET
FULL TEXT:
No arrests have been made in this case. The police were initially thinking of suicide, but now they are keeping all possibilities open, including that of honour killing. One day after the horrific death, there are only silent witnesses in the gallery where the woman and her fiancée lived in the form of special fire extinguishing material and the smell. This morning neighbour Joyce Bierstekers took the stairs from the 12th floor. The air still hangs in the elevator. There was also an explosion, or at least a loud bang. What that was, I don’t know.
Bierstekers was just downstairs when it happened. Her neighbour was first with with the burning woman who cried out loud for help in the gallery. She extinguished the flames by throwing a coat over the woman and called in other gallery residents to keep the woman wet.
The victim comes from Afghanistan and according to people from the apartment is about to get married. It is said that the marriage had already taken place according to Islamic laws. That would also explain why the woman and the man lived together unmarried.
According to spokesman Aling, the police take ‘everything’ into account in the investigation, including a possible honour killing.
The family is also associated with fraudulent practices. In any case, a complaint was made against them by an injured party. He himself was summoned to appear in court next week in connection with libel. For a long time he is said to have attacked the woman – an ex-worker – with e-mails and to have damaged her honour and good name.
Newspaper: AD/Utrechts Nieuwsblad
Page 19
Date: 10/12/2009
23-year-old Narges possible victim of a fire bomb – Disturbance after the fire murder
ZEIST – 23-year-old Narges Achikzei, who died on Monday evening in Zeist, may have been the victim of an attack with a fire bomb. The woman was home alone when someone called downstairs to deliver a parcel. BART LAURET
She took the package to her 12th floor apartment. Several sources confirm that they heard a loud bang before the woman was found burning in the gallery. In the interest of the investigation, the police do not want to give confirmation of this lecture.
Achikzei, who was set on fire, and her boyfriend had a fierce conflict with the woman’s 32-year-old former employer in Utrecht.
The police included this case in the investigation, but also kept other options open, such as an honour killing. The police do not want to confirm whether the man has already been heard. But we would like to talk to everyone who is related to this woman,” says police spokesman Aling.
The young woman, of Afghan descent, died on Monday of the consequences of severe burns. Initially, suicide was considered, but soon there were indications of a crime.
Burning motive Zeist unclear – Killed woman at odds with ex-boss for months now
ZEIST – The death of 23-year-old Narges Achikzei in Zeist led to shocked reactions from those involved and in the apartment where she lived with her boyfriend. The police are investigating the case with a 25-man strong detective team. BART LAURET
The woman set on fire had been at odds with her former employer for months. The man also accused her sister, friend and lawyer of fraud and threats in numerous publications.
Whether this conflict has led to the horrific death is not certain. The Public Prosecution Service does not want to answer questions, because the case is under investigation. The police will take into account the complications that Achikzei had become involved in the investigation. But according to spokesman Aling there is still nothing to say about the motive. No suspects have been arrested yet.
But it is clear that the conflict put a lot of pressure on Achikzei and others involved. Achikzei had an one-year contract with the company of the 32-year-old Utrechter. Her sister did an internship there. The first few months went without a hitch. In May 2008, however, the employment relationship failed. In the period before that, Achikzei started living with a man from Afghanistan, just like her. The employer had a problem with this because, as he writes on a number of internet forums, this man exerted a heavy influence on the young woman. She would suddenly have to walk in covering clothes and no longer follow the direct instructions of her boss. He also acted against the ‘illegal’ muslim marriage of the woman and her boyfriend.
The former employer, who was born in the Netherlands, was himself also converted to Islam, but is opposed to Salafism, a fundamentalist movement within Islam, to which he attributes Achikzei. In hundreds of e-mails the matter has been pushed further and further to the brink. On 7 May 2008 this resulted in immediate dismissal, because according to the former employer death threats had been made against him.
The case did not let him go. Many phone calls, e-mails and publications followed. In it the Utrechter accused her and her boyfriend’s family of fraud. Achikzei, her sister and their lawyer, Mr. Peter Ruijzendaal from Zeist, who was also slandered, eventually filed a complaint for slander and libel. The man had already been summoned to stop the publications for a short time, on pain of a fine.
BANKRUPTCY
Achikzei and her sister also filed for bankruptcy of the company at the Utrecht Court, because they still owed their wages. The court pronounced the bankruptcy on 1 September. As a climax the former employer would have to appear before the police judge next Tuesday because of slander against Achikzei. It is not yet known whether this case will take place.
The lawyer Ruijzendaal from Zeist was shocked. Unbelievable. This is all still so unreal. I had some contact with the family. The shock there is enormous.”’ According to him, the woman was a very pleasant person. I’ve never noticed that there might be something wrong. ”
The curator of the company, Mr. J. Dingemans, is also affected. I happen to be told that the man is no longer staying at his last home address.
Newspaper: AD/Utrechts Nieuwsblad
Page 18
Date: 14/12/2009
Short news
ZEIST –
Suspended defamation case of killed Narges
The criminal case against 32-year-old R.G. from Utrecht for stalking via e-mail and slander against 23-year-old Narges Achikzei has been postponed. The case was on the roll for tomorrow. The young woman from Zeist was killed on Monday because she was set on fire. A connection between these two cases is being investigated by the detective team, just like all other possible motives. No suspects have yet been arrested in this case. According to the Public Prosecution Service, the case against G. was continued for further investigation. Even if the injured party had not died in this case, we would have asked for a postponement,” according to spokesperson Hallebeek of the Public Prosecution Service. There is a probation report, but more psychological or psychiatric research is needed. G. is the former employer of the woman and her sister. There had been an argument for months.
Newspaper: AD/Amersfoortse Courant
Page 22
Date: 15/12/2009
‘Perp did burn herself too’
ZEIST – Police suspect that the perpetrator of setting fire to 23-year-old Narges Achikzei, last Monday, was injured herself. According to police spokesman Aling, this chance is considerable, given the intensity of the fire. ‘We’re basing the possibility on technical research.’
Yesterday afternoon and evening the police held a large passer-by investigation at the apartment on Vollenhove Avenue in Zeist.
Achikzei was of Afghan origin. The case has therefore aroused many emotions in the Afghan community. On various forums on the internet there is a lot of speculation about the cause of the fire murder. The police have not yet made any arrests and keep all options open. The police do not want to say whether more perpetrators are involved in the crime. When it comes specifically to the event on the gallery, we are talking about one perpetrator.
The woman was about to marry her boyfriend, also of Afghan origin. The islamic marriage had already taken place before. Achikzei had been involved with her sister for months in a legal battle with her former employer. In a number of short proceedings this 32-year-old Utrechter was ordered to stop stalking Achikzei by e-mail and to damage her honour and reputation, on pain of a fine. The women also filed for the bankruptcy of the company in order to claim overdue wages and to collect the penalty payment. This was pronounced by the court on 1 September.
Newspaper: AD/Amersfoortse Courant
Page 25
Date: 08/01/2010
ZEIST – Suspect of ‘fire murder’ is a woman
Police suspect a still unknown woman of involvement in the death of 23-year-old Narges Achikzei from Zeist. She was killed on 8 December when she was set on fire in the gallery of her apartment on Laan van Vollenhove.
The police also suspect that the defendant did not act alone. And, according to spokesman Thomas Aling of the police, she has probably suffered burns. We hope that possible witnesses will come forward.”’
The police have released a very brief description. It is said to be a woman of about 1.60 meters with dark hair. The police do not want to reveal more in the interest of the investigation.
The case was discussed on 26 January in a police television programme. It is not yet clear whether camera images will be used. The porches of the flats on Laan van Vollenhove are equipped with camera surveillance. In all probability, a reconstruction film will be made. The police still have a team of 25 detectives on the case.
In the investigation into setting fire to a woman in Zeist, the police still keep all options open. From a completely out of control conflict with the victim’s former employer to a possible honour killing.
The victim, who succumbed to her burns, was about to marry a man, also from Afghanistan, with whom she had been living for some time.
With her former employer, the woman and her younger sister fought a legal battle over over overdue salary and the collection of a penalty payment imposed in summary proceedings.
This fine was imposed on the former employer for not removing all kinds of accusations on the internet against the woman, her boyfriend and sister.
There was also a criminal case against the man for stalking by e-mail and damaging the honour and good name of the victim. This trial has been provisionally arrested at the request of the Public Prosecution Service. The Public Prosecutor thinks that further investigation is necessary first.
