Trial opens in The Hague over 2024 Tarwekamp explosion that killed six

Opening day in The Hague

On Wednesday, 4 November 2026, the district court in The Hague opened the criminal case over the explosion on the Tarwekamp on 7 December 2024, which killed six people. Four men are on trial, and the court has set nine hearing days spread over several weeks. The main suspect, Moshtag B., 35, is accused of commissioning the attack, and the Public Prosecution Service also suspects him of stalking, threatening and maltreating his ex-girlfriend. About 100 residents of the affected building followed the hearing from the courtroom or from video rooms, and relatives of the dead have a room of their own. According to Volkskrant, the police and expert investigation fills around 9,500 pages. The blast brought down part of the building above the bridal shop and left homes uninhabitable.

The alleged motive

Moshtag B. told the court that he suspected his girlfriend of cheating, and that his suspicion grew after she dodged his questions. He had given her a mobile phone that he had cloned, which let him read her WhatsApp messages, text messages, email and social media for more than nine months, according to Volkskrant. AD reports that he transferred about 16,000 euros to her during the relationship, and that about 7,000 euros was paid back. He described the money as a loan he wanted returned, and said he sought financial revenge. He also kept notes on whom she contacted, and he had planned a lie detector test before any possible marriage. The judges confronted him with messages in which he gave detailed instructions, including dozens of jerrycans of petrol. He denies pulling the strings and says he was swept along by the men he had brought in, while the judges cite countless WhatsApp messages among the four suspects that show him as the instigator.

How the plan changed

The plan started as a theft of wedding dresses from the shop and ended in arson with petrol. According to the suspects' own statements, they met in shifting groups from August 2024 to discuss the plan. NOS reports that the main suspect first approached Mourad B., whom he knew from Roosendaal, and that Mourad B. then recruited the others. Trouw reports that Mourad B. carried out the attack together with a cousin, while a fourth suspect was involved only in the preparations. Reported petrol quantities differ, with NOS giving about 175 litres and Volkskrant and NRC giving 200 litres. Telegraaf reports that an earlier attempt failed, and that the attack was set for 7 December because the shop owner was due to install cameras the following Monday. The shop owner was in London at the time. Telegraaf says the main suspect was there too as an alibi, while Trouw reports that he had booked a room in the same hotel. He told the court he expected the fire service to arrive in time to put out the fire and warn residents.

The four defendants

The Public Prosecution Service suspects Mourad B., Ilias B., Adil A. and Moshtag B. of planning and carrying out the attack. Three of the four face murder or manslaughter charges covering the six deaths and attempts on other residents. Adil A. was not present at the blast but is on trial for his part in the preparations. The judges will weigh guilt over the nine hearing days, and no verdict has been given.

What comes next

On 4 and 5 November, the court will work through the police file with the four defendants and give them the chance to explain their role. Because the nine days are spread over several weeks, the hearings will not run in one block. Residents and relatives will keep following the case from the courtroom and the video rooms.