DDutch investigative journalist Peter R. de Vries died of a gunshot wound on Thursday. “Peter fought to the end, but failed to win the battle,” his relatives said in a statement. They are “very proud of him, but also heartbroken.” De Vries was so popular for his TV show that he was shot down by five shots at close range in the center of Amsterdam last Tuesday, at least one of which hit him in the head. Since then, he has been fighting for his life in a hospital in Amsterdam. He is 64 years old.
The police arrested two men one hour after the incident, and they have been detained ever since. The 21-year-old Delano G. is suspected of shooting de Vries. It is said that 35-year-old Pole Kamil E. drove this escape vehicle. Both have criminal backgrounds.
De Vries refuses permanent police protection
Delano G. is the cousin of a criminal who was convicted for murder in 2019. Investigators blamed this task on drug dealer Ridouan Taghi, who is on trial in Amsterdam for six other contract homicides along with the other defendants. It is believed that Taji may also be behind the murder of De Vries. Since mid-2020, the reporter has been the confidant of the key witness in these lawsuits, and Nabil B.’s former lawyer and brother were also murdered.
6.30 am on weekdays
De Vries revealed in 2019 that he was on the list of deaths of the Tarkis. He in turn assured him in a letter that he had nothing to fear-but that was before De Vries became a close friend of Taji’s key witness. The reporter refused the permanent protection of the police. However, as lawyer Nabil B reported on NPO Broadcasting Corporation on Monday, it repeatedly negotiated with security agencies. “Discussions don’t always go smoothly,” Peter Shuten said. In addition, if there are signs of a specific threat, the state always has a duty of care.
“Attacks on freedom of the press and the rule of law”
The attack on De Vries shocked the Netherlands, and the government and even King William-Alexander talked about attacks on press freedom and the rule of law. The event took place on a busy street in the center of Amsterdam, where there are many bars and restaurants. Leidse Square is just around the corner. De Vries was a guest on RTL Avenue. The perpetrator was waiting for him on the way back.
Since last week, thousands of people have laid flowers and paid personal respects at the scene of the attack. During his long career, de Vries has specialized in handling unresolved criminal cases and has personally stood up for his relatives many times. Recently, he organized crowdfunding to clarify the fate of an 18-year-old girl who disappeared after attending a student party 28 years ago. On Tuesday, the 1 million euro mark that De Vries hoped to advertise key messages was broken.
De Vries started working as a reporter for the tabloid De Telegraaf in 1978 and quickly focused on criminal cases. In 1987, he published a book about the kidnapping of brewery owner Freddy Heineken, which became well-known to a wide audience. In a bestseller that was later made into a movie, he described the crime from the perspective of two kidnappers; he made friends with one of them. In the same year, De Vries became the editor-in-chief of the weekly newspaper Aktueel, which was then established independently in 1991. From 1995 to 2012, his TV show “Peter R. De Vries, Kriminalreporter” was broadcast, some of which received high ratings and awards. In it, he investigated pending cases and used secret cameras to convict the perpetrators. After the show, he was often a guest on talk shows and magazines-just like that Tuesday last week, it was his failure.
