Overview
- The criminal trial of tenant Jalal O. began on Monday, September 21, 2026, over a January 2024 explosion that destroyed part of an apartment block and killed three people.
- Prosecutors rely on Nederlands Forensisch Instituut findings that acetone vats in the rear of the rented garagebox caused the blast and on a photo from a victim’s phone showing steaming vats, a scale and a sieve.
- The defendant maintains he did not know about illegal activity in the rear section, says he visited the space days earlier and has been visibly emotional in court.
- One victim has withdrawn a damage claim and declined to speak in court after receiving a threat and seeing the words ‘Be Ready’ painted on their car, with a police report filed.
- The three‑day hearing will cover the facts, allow victims to use their speaking rights and may conclude with the public prosecutor’s sentence demand, while the case highlights risks from makeshift drug labs in mixed‑use buildings.