A 61-year-old man has been arrested for allegedly threatening prime minister Mark Rutte, police have confirmed.

The man was arrested on Friday in Amsterdam, though he has since been released after police were satisfied he was not planning an attack on Rutte’s life. He remains under suspicion.

‘Our enquiries established that there was no question of an attempt to commit an attack on Mark Rutte,’ a spokesman told AD.nl.

AD reported that police have charged another man, Yavoz O. from Amsterdam, for making threats online to kill a number of politicians, including Rutte. He allegedly told police when questioned: ‘If I had a weapon, I would have done it.’

In recent years the public prosecution service has taken a more active stance against people who make threats against politicians. Last year 62 people were formally charged in connection with making threats, up from 55 in 2020.