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Hofstad Network
The Hofstad Network was an Islamist terror group comprised of mostly Dutch citizens. The terror group is mainly comprised of young men between the ages of 18 and 32. The Dutch secret service had originally used the name "Hofstad" as a codename referring to the group based off the city The Hague, where the terrorists were said to have taken residence. The name was later leaked to the media where it gained it's prominence for referring to the terror organization.

While the demographic of the group is made up of Dutch men, there are three instances in which the demographic of the group is made up. The first being Dutch Christians who converted to Islam. The second would be Muslim immigrants living in the Netherlands. And the final group would be the largest demographic, that is second and third generation immigrants to Netherlands. In this particular instance, it was shown that the majority of these immigrants came from Morocco.

The networks in connection with the Hofstad terror group can be linked to other European countries like Spain and Belgium. The group was said to have been influenced by the Muslim Brotherhood who are an Egyptian militant group.

History
The earliest reference to the Hofstad group occurred in 2002, when they were discovered by the Dutch General Intelligence and Security Service (AVID). The intelligence gathered in the first years after the group was discovered was limited, revealing that the group had only been meeting together. These were informal living-room meetings held by a Syrian asylum seeker posing as a religious. It was during these living room meetings where radicalization took place. By the end of 2002, the AVID began to suspect that the organization was developing extremist views and discussing mass casualty events.

At the beginning of 2003, a Hofstad member and his friend tried to join an Islamic rebel group in Chechnya but were discovered by authorities and arrested. During the summer, two Hofstad group members traveled to Pakistan where they recieived paramilitary training. In September, the two men returned and discovered by authorities that these same men could be traced to having talked to a man having ties to the Casablanca bombings earlier that year. On October 14th of that year, the Spanish authorities arrested a Moroccan man who was suspected to be involved in suspicious activity. Police in the Netherlands arrested five Hofstad associates, including three who traveled abroad and were in contact with extremist in Morocco and Syria.

2003 would also be the turning point in which the man who murdered a Dutch filmmaker, Theo Van Gogh, would become radicalized. He withdrew from "mainstream" Dutch society, this included quitting his job and distancing himself from all friends and family who were non-religious. It was also during this time, that the man would embrace the Muslim culture and would become known as the "Taliban" by many in his neighborhood. He is also to have been rumored to have traveled to Denmark to meet with a Syrian preacher who was commonly in touch with the Hofstad group.

In the next year, the group was noted to be under heavy surveillance by the AVID, which dampened the groups activities. However, it didn't stop Mohammed B, the killer of Van Gogh from continuing to become more radicalized. He moved from being radicalized with ideas to adopting extremist and violent ideas.

On May 18th, authorities received a tip that a grocery store worker had been involved in preparing for a terror attack. A couple weeks later the Dutch secret service had arrested this man after capturing him on security cameras taking measurements of the Dutch secret service headquarters. Upon his arrest, police found maps as well as weapons that could be used to carry out the terror attacks.

On August 29 of that year, Van Gogh and Ayann Hirsi Ali created a short film that contained scenes of Quaronic verses being put on semi-naked women. This would be the catalyst to the groups radicalization and Mohammed B's justification to kill Van Gogh for the blasphemy of Islam.

Claimed Attacks
Van Gogh's murder would be considered the first terrorist attack claimed by the Hoftstad group.

In September, authorities 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.

November 2nd of that year, the famous Dutch filmmaker was killed on his way to work in Amsterdam. The killer cycled alongside Van Gogh before shooting him several times and ending the brutal attack with an attempt to decapitate the man. Before fleeing the scene he left a note pinned to the man's chest that had a death threat for Hirsi Ali.

After the attack Mohammed B. went to a park near by were he had a shoot out with police before being taken into custody.

It has been said by witnesses that Mohammed B. had been stalking his route for some time before the attack had happened. With saying that, evidence shows that this particular attack was planned solely by the attacker. The evidence doesn't suggest the amount of involvement from the other members of the group.

After the attack, the police then spent the greater 10 days after 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.

First Trial
The first trial was executed under a Dutch judge of the District Court in Rotterdam in March. During the trial, the judge admitted that he felt as if it was obvious that arrest leading to the hearing had created a spectacle and that the group members ideologies were being greatly scrutinized. The lawyers who defended that group labeled the trial as a "witch trial". It was clear that the ideological threat the Hofstad group had posed stirred the emotions of the public. The judge ruled that in the case of the Hofstad group there was a clear distinction between peaceful and harmful extremism. The judge ruled that four of the members to be acquitted because they showed no attempt for violence but only held extremist ideas. The judge also ruled that the group was not a terror organization.

Second Trial
December 17, 2010 the Appeals Court of Amsterdam ruled that the Hofstad group was a terror organization, following the judgement of the Dutch Supreme Court. This court hearing attracted much less attention from the general public and only journalist seemed to be present. During this retrial, seven defendants were re-convicted of their crimes and received an additional 15 months in prison. Two defendants were re-convicted for 13 year prison sentences.

Upon the ruling the court determined that the Hofstad group was a terror criminal organization who had the intent of committing crimes out of violence and hatred. Documents and public letters that had been written by group members were provided as evidence throughout the trial.

Group Members and Sentencing

 * Mohammed Bouyeri, suspected leader, convicted life sentence without parole for killing of Theo Van Gogh
 * Redouan al-Issar, suspected spiritual leader, wanted by Dutch authorities
 * Samir Azzouz, tried and acquitted of planing terror attack, 9 years imprisonment
 * Jason Walters, threw hand grenade at authorities upon siege, 15 years imprisonment
 * Ismael Akhnikh, part of siege with Walters, 13 years imprisonment
 * Mohammed Fahmi Boughabe, group member
 * Nouredine el Fahtni, carried weapon upon arrest and suspected involvement in terror attacks, 5 years imprisonment
 * Jermaine Walters, brother of Jason Walters, acquitted
 * Yousef Ettoumi, group member, 1 year imprisonment, acquitted
 * Ahmed Hamdi, group member, 2 years imprisonment, acquitted
 * Zine Labidine Aourghe, group member, 18 months imprisonment
 * Mohamed el Morabit, group member, 2 years imprisonment, acquitted
 * Nadir Adarraf, group member, acquitted
 * Zakaria Taybi, group member, acquitted
 * Rashid Boussana, group member
 * Mohamed el Bousklaoui, group member acquitted
 * Racid Belkacem, group member, acquitted
 * Mohammed Boughaba, 18 month imprisonment, acquitted