Suspicious Fire at the Home of Rotterdam Alderman Faouzi Achbar
Police Investigating Incident as Arson
Rotterdam, Netherlands - November 27, 2023
Police are investigating a fire that broke out at the home of Rotterdam alderman Faouzi Achbar on Saturday as a suspected case of arson. The fire occurred at around 9:30 pm at Achbar's residence in the Rotterdam city center.
According to police spokesperson Annemarie van der Helm, investigators found evidence that the fire was deliberately set. "We found several points of origin for the blaze, indicating that it was not an accidental fire," she said.
Faouzi Achbar, 40, is a member of the DENK political party and has served as an alderman for Rotterdam since 2022. He has been outspoken on issues of social justice and integration, and has been the target of threats in the past.
The fire caused significant damage to Achbar's home, but no injuries were reported. Achbar and his family were not home at the time of the incident.
Police are urging anyone with information about the fire to come forward. They are also increasing patrols in the area and have assigned a team of detectives to investigate the case.
Mayor Ahmed Aboutaleb condemned the attack, calling it "an assault on our democracy." He said the city would do everything in its power to find the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
The fire at Achbar's home is the latest in a series of attacks on politicians and public figures in the Netherlands. In recent years, other politicians have had their homes vandalized or received death threats.
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