Editing Hofstad Network (section)

== Claimed attacks ==
[[Theo van Gogh (film director)|Theo van Gogh's murder]] was the first terrorist attack claimed by the Hofstad group.<ref>{{Cite web |title=12 terror suspects go on trial in Netherlands |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna6927783 |access-date=2022-07-05 |website=NBC News |date=7 February 2005 |language=en}}</ref>

In September 2004, authorities{{which|date=November 2019}} received a tip from an email that warned of two Hofstad group members preparing a terror attack. The anonymous source also admitted to being recruited by these men to carry out the planned terrorist attacks with particular targets.{{citation needed|date=June 2019}}

On 2 November of that year, Mohammed Bouyeri killed Van Gogh when he was on his way to work in Amsterdam. The killer cycled alongside the filmmaker before shooting him several times and attempting to decapitate him.<ref name="Conquest 1985 56–75"/> Before fleeing the scene, he left a note pinned to Van Gogh's chest that had a death threat for Hirsi Ali.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/may/08/ayaan-hirsi-ali-interview|title=Ayaan Hirsi Ali: 'Why are Muslims so hypersensitive?'|website=[[TheGuardian.com]]|date=7 May 2010}}</ref>

After the attack, Bouyeri went to a park nearby, where he had a shootout with police before being taken into custody.{{citation needed|date=June 2019}}

Witnesses said that Bouyeri had been stalking his route for some time before the attack had happened.{{citation needed|date=June 2019}}

After the attack, the police spent the following 10 days arresting the group members. One group member who acted as the religious teacher for the group fled the country the day of Van Gogh's murder and entered Syria illegally.<ref name=":0"/>

Shortly after the murder of Van Gogh, the organization gained the attention of national media when an attempt to arrest suspected members Jason Walters and Ismail Akhnikh led to a 14-hour siege at a house in [[The Hague]]. During these events, the name ''Hofstad Network'' became public <!--how?--> and the media has continued to use this moniker when referring to the organization. In the months after the siege, a number of other suspected members of the organization were arrested. On 5 December 2005, the Hofstad court case against 14 suspected members began.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://static.rnw.nl/migratie/www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/region/netherlands/ned051205-redirected |title=The 'Hofstad' trial - the perils of punishing terrorist thoughts - Radio Netherlands Worldwide - English |accessdate=2010-02-06 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100115093251/http://static.rnw.nl/migratie/www.radionetherlands.nl/currentaffairs/region/netherlands/ned051205-redirected |archivedate=15 January 2010 }}</ref>

Samir Azzouz, Jermaine Walters —suspected but not incarcerated— and another five members were arrested{{when|date=November 2019}} on suspicion of preparing an attack against (yet unnamed) national politicians and the building of the General Intelligence and Security Agency AIVD on 14 October 2005. 

In a case known as [[Piranha court case|Piranha case]], six individuals were brought to court, one of them was [[Nouredine el Fahtni|Noureddine El Fahtni]]. On 1 December 2006, the District Court of Rotterdam sentenced Azzouz to 8 years in prison for preparing a terrorist attack. [[Nouredine el Fahtni|Noureddine El Fahtni]] and Mohammed Chentouf to 4 years each, [[Soumaya Sahla]] to 3 years and Brahim Harhour to 3 months. One suspect was acquitted. The Court ruled that the six individuals had not formed a terrorist organization.<ref>{{ECLI|ECLI:NL:RBROT:2006:AZ3589}}</ref>

In appeal, the Court in The Hague convicted all defendants to more severe sentences. On 2 October 2008, Samir Azzouz was sentenced to 9 years in prison,{{citation needed|date=January 2023}} Nouriddin El Fahtni was sentenced to 8 years,<ref>{{ECLI|ECLI:NL:GHSGR:2008:BF3987}}</ref> Mohammed Chentouf was sentenced to 6;6 years in prison,<ref>{{ECLI|ECLI:NL:GHSGR:2008:BF5180}}</ref> Soumaya Sahla was sentenced to 4 years in prison.<ref>{{ECLI|ECLI:NL:GHSGR:2008:BF4814}}</ref>