Jason Walters

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Jason Walters
Born (1985-03-06) March 6, 1985 (age 36)
Amersfoort, Netherlands
Criminal statusReleased
Criminal chargeTerrorism, Weapon Charges
Penalty15 years imprisonment

Jason Walters or Jamal (born 6 March 1985) is a Dutch citizen who was sentenced to fifteen years in prison on charges related to Islamic terrorism.

Early life[]

Jason Walters was born on 6 March 1985 to an American soldier based in the Netherlands and a Dutch woman.[1] His neighbors stated that he was pro-American when he was adolescent.[1]

Walters converted to Islam at 16 (some sources say 13)[2] and later adopted the name Abu Mujahied Amrik.[2] His mother, recently divorced, and with two younger daughters at home, felt increasingly unsafe finally fleeing to a woman's shelter.[1]

His talk about jihad against the non-believers caused his mosque to ban him and his brother, , and notify the authorities.

Walters has made at least one visit to Pakistan and possibly to Afghanistan where it is alleged he has received training at a terrorist training camp, and in 2003, Walters wrote a farewell letter to his mother.[3][4]

Arrest and conviction[]

Walters, at the time 19,[1] was arrested along with Ismail Akhnikh on November 10, 2004, after a 14-hour siege in The Hague. This was one of a series of raids on suspected Muslim terrorist cells following the 2 November 2004 assassination of filmmaker Theo van Gogh by fellow Hofstad Network member Mohammed Bouyeri. Near the end of this siege, Walters threw a hand grenade at police.[1]

According to police, Walters had his own plans to assassinate Dutch political figures he deemed anti-Muslim, and his hit list included two members of parliament, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a native of Somalia, and Geert Wilders. Both, like van Gogh, had been outspoken critics of Islam in the Netherlands, particularly its treatment of women.[1]

On 10 March 2006, Walters was convicted with eight others in the Netherlands on charges of terrorism. He was sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment.[5]

Release[]

He was released from prison in May 2013.[6] In a first interview[7] in 2018, he said to have deradicalized in prison through self study, citing the works of Nietzsche, Plato and Heidegger as crucial. He also said that radicalization is an existential choice.[8]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Richburg, Keith B., From Quiet Teen to Terrorist Suspect, Washington Post, 5 December 2004
  2. ^ a b "Afscheidsbrief van Jason Walters". Geenstijl. 11 November 2004.
  3. ^ "SocioSite: Jihad in the Netherlands - Chronicle of a Political Murder Foretold". sociosite.org.
  4. ^ In naam van allah de barmhartig de genadevolle, Jason Walters farewell letter to his mother (Dutch)
  5. ^ "Rechtbank heeft uitspraak gedaan in zaken verdachten Hofstadgroep". rechtspraak.nl. Archived from the original on 2006-04-22.
  6. ^ "Lid Hofstadgroep Jason W. is vrij". NOS. 11 May 2013. Retrieved 18 August 2017.
  7. ^ "Jason W. spreekt". Nieuw Israelitisch Weekblad (in Dutch). 4 June 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
  8. ^ "Ex-terrorist Jason deradicaliseerde in de cel door zelfstudie: "Plato en Nietzsche hebben me gered. En toen moest mijn hele wereldbeeld op de schop"". Het Laatste Nieuws (in Dutch). 4 June 2018. Retrieved 4 June 2018.
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