Two men convicted for their roles in the violence surrounding the Ajax–Maccabi Tel Aviv football match last November have had their sentences reduced on appeal.

Amsterdam’s appeal court on Thursday sentenced 33-year-old Mounir M to 27 days in jail – equal to time he had already spent in custody – and a 50-hour community service order.

M, a former taxi driver, managed the Buurthuis2 app group, which encouraged people to attack supporters of Maccabi Tel Aviv who were in Amsterdam for the  match at the Johan Cruijff stadium.

Given M’s medical condition, the court ruled that a sentence equal to his pre-trial custody combined with community service was appropriate.

A lower court earlier imposed a six-week prison term on M after finding he had repeatedly shared information in the group about the whereabouts of Maccabi supporters.

A second man, aged 25, received a one-month suspended prison sentence and a 100-hour community service order. He admitted kicking supporters on the Damrak and stealing a scarf.

The lower court had previously sentenced him to an unconditional month in jail, but the appeals court opted for a suspended term because he had admitted the wrongdoing.

Attacks and arrests

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.