A grieving mother has broken her silence after her husband brutally murdered their 18-year-old daughter in a so-called honour killing, before fleeing justice to Syria.
A Brutal Murder in a Peaceful Park
Ryan al Najjar, aged 18, was found face down in a pond at the Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve in the Netherlands, just one month after celebrating her birthday. Her body was gagged, bound, and wrapped in a shocking 18 metres of duct tape before being dumped in the shallow lake.
Her father, Khaled al Najjar, was responsible for her drowning. He killed his daughter for the perceived crime of becoming too Westernised after the family had claimed asylum in the Netherlands following their escape from Syria in 2016. Khaled al Najjar was subsequently tried in absentia, receiving a 30-year prison sentence, but remains at large in Syria.
A Family Living in Fear
Speaking to the Daily Mail, Ryan's mother, Sumaia al Najjar, said her husband "has destroyed my whole family." She described him as a violently abusive man who terrorised his wife and children. "He used to break things and beat me and his children up, beat all of us," she recounted.
Ryan's sister, Iman, 27, echoed this, calling their father "a temperamental and unjust man" whose presence filled their home with tension and fear. "No one dared to question his request or tell him he was wrong," Iman stated.
The court heard that the murder was motivated by Ryan's rejection of her family's strict Islamic upbringing. Ryan had begun to rebel around the age of 15, stopping wearing her hijab, smoking, and making friends with boys and girls. Her mother believed she would "grow out of it," but her father was enraged by her behaviour, including making TikTok videos.
Brothers Convicted, Father Evades Justice
Ryan's brothers, Muhanad, 25, and Muhamad, 24, were both convicted for assisting in the murder and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Forensic evidence, including algae on their shoes and GPS data, placed them at the scene. Khaled al Najjar's DNA was also found underneath Ryan's fingernails.
Despite later sending emails to Dutch newspapers claiming sole responsibility to absolve his sons, Khaled al Najjar has never returned to Europe to face justice. He is now reportedly living in Syria with another woman.
Sumaia al Najjar is desperate for her husband to be extradited. "I never want to see him or hear from him again... He should have taken responsibility for his crime," she said. She maintains that her sons, while guilty of leaving Ryan alone with their father, did not deserve their harsh sentences. "It's so unfair to put my boys in prison for the crime of their father," she added.
The case stands as a horrific example of so-called honour-based violence, shattering a family that had sought safety and a new life in the Netherlands.
