Sentencing confirmed for Amsterdam girl's kidnappers; Insiya still gone 9 years later

Sentencing Confirmed for Amsterdam Girl’s Kidnappers; Insiya Still Missing After Nine Years

The Supreme Court announced on Tuesday that the case against five men involved in the abduction of Amsterdam girl Insiya will not be retried. The court upheld the previous sentences as final, aligning with the Advocate General's recommendation given in July.

The 2016 Kidnapping

On 29 September 2016, several men forcibly took 2-year-old Insiya from her grandmother’s house in Amsterdam. Her father, Shehzad Hemani, organized the kidnapping through an international team and brought the child to India. Now 11 years old, Insiya is still believed to be there. Her mother, Nadia Rashid, has not had any contact with her daughter since the abduction.

Legal Proceedings and Sentences

The Public Prosecution Service described the kidnapping as a carefully executed plan. Earlier rulings sentenced six men involved to prison terms of up to four years. Among them was Hemani’s cousin, Imran S., currently residing in India. Hemani himself received an 8.5-year prison sentence on appeal in May 2024.

Extradition and Appeals

Despite multiple extradition requests by Dutch authorities, India has declined to surrender Hemani and other suspects. Hemani argued before the Supreme Court that he did not receive a fair trial, as he was unable to attend in person due to an active arrest warrant and wanted to join via video link. The Court of Appeal denied this request.

According to the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeal was within its rights to reject Hemani’s participation via video and this did not justify a retrial.
Author’s Summary

The Dutch Supreme Court closed the long-running Insiya kidnapping case, confirming all prior sentences while the abducted girl remains in India after nine years.

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NL Times NL Times — 2025-11-05

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