Ryan al Najjar Age: 18
Murdered: May 2024
Place of residence: Joure
Origin: Syria
Children: none
Perpetrator: Father, brother
Together with her parents, siblings, Ryan al Najjar fled from Idlib, Syria, to Turkey in 2012 because of the war, where they lived in a refugee camp for two years.
One of the sons then fled to the Netherlands, where the family was reunited after a year. They were given a house in the Frisian town of Joure and said they were very happy with their new life. Ryan al Najjar was 11 years old at the time and attended elementary school in Joure.
On the morning of May 28, 2024, the body of 18-year-old Ryan al Najjar was found in the water on the Knardijk in Lelystad. She died as a result of a crime.
On June 3, police arrested two men for involvement in the crime: a 24-year-old man from Leeuwarden and a 22-year-old man from Leeuwarden. The latter is said to be a brother of Ryan.
The motive is obstruction of a forced marriage; Ryan was supposed to be married off at 18, but she didn't want to because she was in love with a Dutch boy. Ryan comes from a strict Islamic family. Father Khaled (52) reportedly rushed out of the Netherlands after the murder, presumably to Turkey, where he told relatives what he had done and where to find his daughter's body.
On January 5, 2026, the court handed down its verdict. The father was sentenced to 30 years in prison; the brothers were sentenced to 20 years.