The Dutch public prosecution department has halted two cases against Israeli nationals linked to last year’s trouble before and after the Ajax–Maccabi Tel Aviv football match in November because crucial camera evidence has been wiped, broadcaster NOS has reported.

The department and Amsterdam’s public transport organisation GVB told NOS footage of two incidents in the metro was deleted earlier than intended because some of the recording equipment had been replaced. Footage is normally retained for a week.

The cases concern complaints made by two women. One involves a woman who shouted “Free Palestine” at a group of Maccabi supporters on their way to the stadium. She claims they attacked her by hitting her, spitting, and pulling her hair.

Police were at the scene but were unable to arrest her attackers.

The second case involves a woman who said she had been sitting in the metro with another woman wearing headscarves, when Maccabi fans yelled at her: “We will kill all of you.”

The department has told both victims that the cases are being dropped because potential camera evidence has been wiped. The GVB has confirmed it replaced the cameras five days after the incident, which means “the images are no longer available”.

Both complaints were made on November 14, and the lawyer for both victims said he had urged the department to ensure all available camera footage was retained.

One incident involving Maccabi fans attacking locals is likely to proceed, NOS said. It concerns a man dressed in black who smashed the window of a taxi. He has been identified by the Israeli authorities, and the Dutch prosecutor is waiting for his name to be made public.

Lawyer Adem Çatbas, who is representing the women and the taxi driver, told  NOS it is “remarkable” that the footage was wiped, given the turmoil in the city at the time.

He also questioned why it had taken eight months to identify the taxi attacker, even though he had been caught on camera “clear as day”.

Suspects

In March, the public prosecution department said it had drawn up a list of 122 suspects who were involved in the trouble surrounding the Europa League football match on November 7.

Most of the suspects have not been identified, and most are either pro-Palestine sympathisers or troublemakers, the department said. Around 10 are Maccabi fans from Israel.

“The investigation is ongoing, but we are now assuming we have all the people involved in the most serious violence in our radar,” spokeswoman Mara van den Berg told NOS at the time.

Scooters

On the night of the Europa League tie, five supporters of the Israeli club were taken to hospital after being attacked following the match by what Amsterdam mayor Femke Halsema then described as “hit-and-run” assaults by “youths on scooters”.

The violence caused outrage in Israel and elsewhere, with Israel at one point saying it would send over planes to rescue its citizens.

Since then, a more nuanced picture has emerged of what went on, although the police have still not said how many people were attacked or how many incidents there were.

Official reports

Although locals were initially accused of going on a ‘Jew hunt’ against Maccabi fans and the city’s Jewish residents, it later became clear that Maccabi supporters also caused trouble both before and after the match, tearing down at least one Palestinian flag and chanting anti-Palestinian slogans.

In total, 62 people were arrested on the day of the match itself – 10 of whom were Maccabi fans – and most were released later.

Two reports compiled by the police, public prosecution department and the city council into the riots will be published later on Monday.