A Netherlands court sets a sentencing date for a man convicted in Canada of cyberbullying

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This article was published 07/12/2023 (695 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

AMSTERDAM (AP) — A court in the Netherlands said Thursday that it would rule in two weeks on the sentence for a man convicted in Canada in a notorious cyberbullying case.

Judges at the Amsterdam District Court have to convert the 13-year sentence a Canadian court gave to Aydin Coban, who was convicted last year of crimes that included the extortion and harassment of Canadian teenager Amanda Todd.

Coban was serving an 11-year Dutch sentence for the cyberbullying of more than 30 other victims when he was sent to Canada to stand trial in the Todd case. He was extradited on the condition that he served any Canadian sentence in a Dutch prison.

The Amsterdam court now must adapt the sentence by the British Columbia Supreme Court to conform with the sentencing norms of the Netherlands.

Coban blackmailed the 15-year-old Todd to expose herself in front of a webcam. She took her own life in 2012 after recounting her ordeal in a YouTube video watched by millions around the world.

Earlier this year, the Amsterdam court said it needed more information from Canadian authorities before passing sentence. That information was added to the case dossier but not explained Thursday.

Coban was not in court for a brief hearing where his lawyer, Robert Malewicz, again argued that Coban should get no extra time in a Dutch prison when his Canadian sentence is converted. He told a three-judge panel that if they disagree, they should impose a maximum sentence of one year, with half the sentence suspended.

Prosecutors say Coban should serve about four and a half years of his Canadian sentence in the Netherlands.

The Amsterdam court said it would deliver its sentencing judgment on Dec. 21. It can be appealed in the Dutch Supreme Court.