The 22-year-old Amsterdammer accused of plotting to kill prime minister Mark Rutte will appear in court for a pro-forma hearing on Wednesday.

The man is alleged to have tried to both recruit others to storm parliament and to buy weapons online, but his lawyer Priya Soekhai says her client never had any intention of putting his words into action, RTL reported.

Yavuz O was arrested earlier this summer and charged with preparing an attack on Rutte as well as incitement and collecting information to carry out a terrorist attack. This, the public prosecution says, was done both verbally and via two public Telegram accounts.

In September, Rutte was given extra personal protection amid concern that gangsters may be plotting to kidnap him. The Telegraaf reported that intelligence agencies acted after ‘spotters’ – people hired by criminal gangs to prepare the ground for an attack or kidnap – were observed in Rutte’s vicinity.

He and other politicians were also reportedly the targets of another alleged terrorist cell in Eindhoven.