News report | 14-01-2026 | 18:48
A 38-year-old man from The Hague is suspected of damaging and vandalizing the British embassy at the end of December. Today he had to appear in court.
On December 22, the suspect sprayed slogans with red paint on the windows. He also threw a stone through the windows. His actions damaged the frames and broke the window. That window was sealed with plexiglass. A week later, on December 28, the suspect removed that plexiglass.
The suspect stated that he did this because he disagrees with the policy of the British government. According to the Public Prosecution Service, freedom of expression is largely permitted in the Netherlands, but deliberately causing damage to others is not included. Everyone may demonstrate peacefully, but when rights of others are infringed, a line must be drawn.
Furthermore, the suspect was not deterred by earlier measures; he repeatedly returned to the British embassy. In 2025 alone, he was arrested five times earlier for vandalism in the context of actions at other institutions.
At the request of the Public Prosecution Service, the judge imposed the restrictive measure of an area ban on the suspect. This ban applies immediately for a period of 2 years. The judge determined that if the suspect nevertheless comes near the British embassy, he will be detained for 7 days.