A Syrian man, convicted in the Netherlands of murdering his daughter in a so-called honor killing after accusing her of behaving too Western, has been sentenced in absentia to 30 years in prison after fleeing the country.

The ruling was delivered on Monday by the court in Lelystad, which found Khaled al N. guilty of orchestrating and carrying out the killing of his 18-year-old daughter, Ryan, from the town of Joure in Friesland. Her brothers, Mohamed, 23, and Muhanad, 25, were each sentenced to 20 years in prison for being complicit in the murder.

As reported by NOS, judges said Ryan’s death represented “a tragic low point in a family history in which the oppression of women was the common thread,” concluding that the killing was driven by the belief that she had damaged the family’s honor through what relatives regarded as an excessively Western lifestyle.

Prosecutors had sought a 25-year prison sentence for the father and 20 years for each brother. The court imposed a heavier sentence on Khaled al N., citing his leading role in the crime and the extreme violence involved.

Ryan’s body was discovered on May 28, 2024, in a marsh near the Oostvaardersplassen nature reserve. Investigators established that she had been bound with approximately 18 meters of duct tape before being thrown into the water alive. When she was found, her hands were tied behind her back, and her nose and mouth were covered with tape. Her father later fled home to Syria, where it is understood he remains.

The court said Khaled al N. spoke positively about his daughter during the proceedings but refused to accept responsibility for her death. Judges described his actions as “incomprehensible and indigestible,” adding that a parent’s duty is to protect and support a child, not destroy her.

During the trial, a police officer said during their testimony, “How scared Ryan must have been. In the dead of night, in pitch darkness, in a remote place. Did she know her last hour had come? Did she scream? Barely 18. Vulnerable. Alone. She trusted her brothers.”

According to the ruling, there was a coordinated attempt to place sole blame on the father in order to shield the brothers, and his escape to Syria formed part of that plan. While the judges took into account the brothers’ young age and the pressure exerted by their father, they said this did not diminish their culpability.

Evidence showed that after Ryan’s death, the brothers destroyed evidence, erasing traces of the crime. They deleted photos and videos from her phone and asked relatives to remove chat messages, the court said, noting that there was no indication they feared for her welfare.

Investigators also uncovered a WhatsApp group chat including several family members entitled “Honorable family,” which revealed messages suggesting ways to kill Ryan for bringing shame on the family. According to De Telegraaf, these included pushing her in front of a train and poisoning her.

Prosecutors said the murder was premeditated and motivated by the view that Ryan had become a burden to the family. The family, which fled Syria and later settled in Joure, had been known to police and social services for years. From 2022 onward, Ryan stayed intermittently in shelters and institutions and had previously told police that her father abused and threatened her.

It is unclear why the authorities did not intervene at an earlier opportunity to protect the woman following the complaints.

One of her brothers had earlier told investigators that he believed Ryan had disgraced the family by appearing on TikTok without a headscarf and wearing makeup.

During hearings in November, the brothers denied involvement and claimed their father alone was responsible, describing him as a “psychopath” and a “monster.” Prosecutors questioned their credibility, noting that both had remained silent for months during the investigation.

Khaled al N., who has since remarried in northern Syria, wrote in a letter to De Telegraaf last year that he had killed his daughter, a statement his lawyer repeated in court.

It remains uncertain whether the father will ever serve his sentence. Although he is now the subject of an international arrest warrant, there is no judicial cooperation between the Netherlands and Syria, and Dutch authorities therefore cannot extradite him.

The Public Prosecution Service said it will continue to explore options to bring him to justice, either by securing his return to the Netherlands or by having him serve his sentence abroad.