# Police arrest Somali national, 23, over Hajar's death in Amsterdam

> Police arrested the 23-year-old on Tuesday after a violent incident at a house in Koggenland. He is a suspect in the death of Hajar, 29, found in the water at the Amsteldijk.

Society · published 2026-10-21 20:59 · https://nlnow.nl/a/police-arrest-man-23-over-death-of-woman-in-suitcase/

Amsterdam police arrested a 23-year-old man with Somali nationality on Tuesday on suspicion of involvement in the death of Hajar, 29. He was picked up after a violent incident at a house in Koggenland, in North Holland. He has no fixed address, came to the Netherlands at the age of six and has a permanent residence permit.

Hajar's family reported her missing on 5 October. She was last seen on 4 October at the RAI event centre. Police said she is believed to have left from there with an unknown man with a bicycle, heading towards Buitenveldert. The arrested man is the man seen on camera images at the RAI that day.

The arrest was announced at a press conference by Amsterdam's driehoek: mayor Femke Halsema, the police and the public prosecutor. Chief prosecutor René de Beukelaer said there was at first "insufficient suspicion" against the man. Only after further investigation could he be named a suspect on Tuesday morning.

Police chief Peter Holla said there are no indications that Hajar and the suspect knew each other, although this is still being investigated. There are currently no indications of sexual abuse.

On Wednesday afternoon police were carrying out an investigation in a building on De Boelelaan in Amsterdam-Buitenveldert, a police spokesperson confirmed. Nobody lives in the building, but anti-squat companies are based there.

Halsema recalled the murder of 17-year-old Lisa in Duivendrecht last year. "It hurts incredibly to have to sit here again as the driehoek, knowing that this once more frightens women in our city and across the Netherlands," she said. She added that this is not the place or the moment for a debate about the background of the possible perpetrator.

## Background

- **driehoek**: The driehoek ("triangle") is the regular consultation in a Dutch municipality between the mayor, the chief of police for the area and the public prosecutor (officier van justitie) in charge locally. Together they coordinate public order, safety and criminal investigations in the city. Its decisions, such as announcements about major investigations or measures against crime, are typically made and shared jointly by these three parties.

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