Fez — Moroccan-Dutch kickboxer Badr Hari was arrested in Amsterdam on Tuesday morning on suspicion of threats and insults, according to Dutch reports and his lawyer.
Hari, 41, was detained at around 9 a.m. on September 1 on Van Leijenberghlaan in Amsterdam’s Buitenveldert district. Amsterdam police said officers arrested a 41-year-old man following an incident on the street, without publicly identifying the suspect.
Hari’s lawyer, Cem Polat, later confirmed that his client was the person arrested. He declined to provide further details about the incident.
Authorities have not disclosed what allegedly happened before the arrest or identified the person against whom the alleged threats and insults were directed.
Police were continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident. There is currently no public indication that Hari has been convicted of any offense related to Tuesday’s arrest.
The allegations remain accusations, and Hari is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Previous case involving former partner
The arrest comes around a year after Hari received a community service sentence in a separate case involving violence against his former partner.
Dutch authorities said Hari had assaulted his former partner on two occasions, including an incident in September 2024 and another on February 2, 2025.
Following the February incident, police detained Hari for three days. Dutch prosecutors later imposed 24 hours of community service, a contact ban, and an order requiring him to pay compensation. Hari did not challenge the punishment, making it final, Dutch public broadcaster NOS reported in September 2025.
The authorities have not established publicly whether Tuesday’s arrest has any connection to that earlier case. Reports suggesting such a link remain unconfirmed.
Earlier convictions in Amsterdam
Hari has previously faced criminal convictions in the Netherlands.
In 2015, the Amsterdam Court of Appeal sentenced him to 24 months in prison, including 10 months suspended, for several violent offenses committed in 2011 and 2012.
The court recorded five incidents of violence, including the serious assault of businessman Koen Everink during the Sensation White event at the Amsterdam ArenA in 2012.
The sentence later became final, and the Dutch Public Prosecution Service confirmed in 2017 that Hari had reported to prison to serve the remaining portion of his sentence.
Hari built an international reputation as one of heavyweight kickboxing’s most prominent figures, competing under the Moroccan flag and becoming particularly popular among Moroccan combat-sports fans.
His latest arrest again places the celebrated fighter’s life outside the ring under scrutiny, while Dutch investigators work to establish what happened during Tuesday morning’s incident.
