Prosecutors in the Netherlands charged a 37-year-old man with terror-related offenses on Monday following a blast at the headquarters of the ruling D66 party. The suspect, arrested shortly after a makeshift bomb detonated inside the The Hague building on May 8, faces allegations that he aimed to instill widespread fear through political violence.
During an arraignment hearing on Monday, a judge extended the suspect’s pretrial detention by two weeks. Authorities have not released his identity in accordance with Dutch privacy regulations, and investigators said he has said nothing about a possible motive since his arrest.
The Hague Public Prosecutor’s Office confirmed the charges in a written statement. “The man is suspected of causing an explosion with terrorist intent,” the office said. “An explosion targeting the headquarters of a political party instills fear in a part of the population. For this reason, the terrorist motive has been charged.”
Prime Minister Rob Jetten, who took office in February, addressed the attack during his weekly news conference on Friday. He characterized the bombing as an isolated act of intimidation that would not alter the democratic process.
“It was pretty futile if you think you can intimidate politicians with these kinds of actions,” Jetten told reporters.
The building houses the local offices of D66, a centrist political force in the Dutch coalition government. At the time of the explosion, roughly 30 members of the party’s youth wing were gathered inside for a scheduled meeting. Jetten confirmed that while the blast startled the attendees, no one was injured.
This incident marks the second time the same facility in The Hague’s city center has been targeted in less than a year. In September, a right-wing demonstration staged near the party’s offices erupted into violence, resulting in vandalism to the building just weeks ahead of national elections.
Law enforcement is continuing to examine physical evidence from the May 8 device, and investigators are working to determine whether the suspect possessed prior connections to organized groups or acted entirely alone.