The Netherlands: Well known crime reporter shot in the head in Amsterdam in broad daylight

Source: Public memorial for Peter R. de Vries in Amsterdam today

Wednesday, July 21, 2021 - 08:49 AM

Public memorial for Peter R. de Vries in Amsterdam today ​


The public memorial for murdered crime reporter Peter R. de Vries will be held in the Royal Theater Carré in Amsterdam on Wednesday. Between 11:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., everyone who wants to say goodbye is welcome. De Vries' funeral will be held in private on Thursday.

"It is the wish of the family and partner of Peter R. de Vries that everyone for whom Peter meant something is given the opportunity to say a final goodbye," RTL said in a press release. De Vries regularly worked with the broadcaster.

As large crowds are expected, everyone is requested to keep their farewell as short as possible, so that as many people as possible can have a chance to say goodbye. No negative Covid-19 test or vaccine certificate is necessary, but people will have to maintain social distancing.

Both the public and private memorials were organized by Hans Bleijerveld, director of Special Funerals at Monuta. "I find every farewell a challenge, but especially now that the whole of the Netherlands is touched and the massive is combined with the intimate," Bleijerveld said on radio program Nieuws en Co. He said that safety is "guaranteed to the maximum", but would give no further details.

The family asked attendees not to bring flowers, but instead make a donation to the Gouden Tip foundation, a fundraising campaign De Vries started to raise a reward for information on the disappearance of Tanja Groen.

Peter R. de Vries was gunned down on Lange Leidsedwarsstraat in Amsterdam on July 6, shortly after he left the RTL Boulevard studio where he was a guest that evening. He died in hospital last week.

Two suspects were arrested shortly after the shooting. They were remanded into custody for another 90 days on Monday. They are suspected of murder.
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Similar:
Public goodbye to Peter R de Vries at Carré expected to draw a crowd - DutchNews.nl
Thousands queue up to say farewell to murdered journalist Peter R de Vries - DutchNews.nl
 
Source: Filming of shot Peter R. de Vries was planned: report

Wednesday, July 28, 2021 - 07:46 AM

Filming of shot Peter R. de Vries was planned: report​


The police believe that two men were standing ready and waiting for Peter R. de Vries to be shot, so that they could film his body and post it on the internet, sources close to the investigation told newspaper AD (in Dutch). Videos of bystanders trying to help the critically injured crime reporter quickly went viral. YouTube eventually removed them.

"If you want maximum attention, you do this. Then you ensure that shocking videos immediately spread across the internet. It is suspected that the men were waiting there," a source said to the newspaper.

Surveillance camera footage from cafes on the street show two men in gray calmly follow De Vries as he left the RTL Boulevard studio and walked through Lange Leidsedwarsstraat towards his car. They both took out their phones, but did nothing with them. "As if they wanted their camera in hand right away," the source said.

The two are clearly visible on a photo taken by a local from a high window, which show bystanders helping De Vries. They appear to be calmly walking around De Vries' body, filming him. "The movements of those two are very unnatural and have our explicit attention," the source said to AD.

The investigators also find it suspicious that the duo were dressed almost identically - blue jeans, white sneakers, gray sweater, with a bag across their chest.

The two men haven't been identified yet. It is very likely that their photos will be shown on Opsporing Verzocht when broadcasts of the television program start up after the summer vacation period, an investigation source said.

De Vries was gunned down on Lange Leidsedwarsstraat in Amsterdam on July 6. He succumbed to his injuries in hospital on July 15. The police have two suspects in pre-trail detention, 35-year-old Kamil E. and 21-year-old Delano G. AD's sources said that they have no doubt that these two were involved in the murder.
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Coverage in Dutch:
ad.nl/binnenland/mannen-stonden-klaar-om-peter-r-de-vries-te-filmen-na-aanslag~ace1fcd3/
geenstijl.nl/5160015/als-peter-ff-niet-kan-speuren-proberen-we-zelf-wel-wat/
geenstijl.nl/5160315/zeiden-we-toch/
'Filmen Peter R. de Vries na aanslag was gepland'
 
Source (Dutch only): Getuige zag week voor aanslag verdacht persoon in de buurt van Peter R. de Vries
Witness saw suspicious person near Peter R. de Vries week before attack

Security An employee of the garage in Amsterdam where Peter R. de Vries parked his car saw a suspicious person there a week before the crime reporter was attacked. What happened to his report is unclear.

Jan Meeus - August 19, 2021 at 16:58

Security guards at RTL Boulevard were informed by a witness, a week before the fatal attack on Peter R. de Vries, about a man behaving suspiciously near the studio where the crime reporter was present. That information was passed on to the police in Amsterdam and Midden-Nederland [Netherlands-Central]. It is not clear whether this led to additional security measures.

The report about the suspicious man came from an employee of the parking garage near the Boulevard studio on the Leidseplein in Amsterdam. His story was recorded by two reporters from the German weekly Der Spiegel (in German) . Five sources anonymously confirmed details of his story to NRC.

The Public Prosecutor's Office and the police in Amsterdam did not want to comment. The investigation into the two suspects in the murder of Peter R. de Vries, who are due to appear in open court for the first time in October, is also focusing on the security of the crime reporter. Likewise, the Public Prosecution Service Midden-Nederland, which was responsible for his safety because of De Vries's place of residence, does not want to answer questions because of ongoing investigations. Lawyer Peter Schouten of key witness Nabil B. believes that the police should have intervened on the basis of the report. De Vries was Nabil B.'s confidant.

Recognized as the driver of the getaway car

On Monday, June 28, Peter R. de Vries was in the Boulevard studio for an item about the appeal in the criminal case against Willem Holleeder. That evening, an employee of the parking garage, where De Vries parked his car when he appeared on RTL Boulevard, saw a man near the studio and the garage who, in his view, was behaving suspiciously. He allegedly followed De Vries and emphatically looked inside the parking garage.

The garage employee told Der Spiegel that after the arrest of two suspects he recognized the Pole Kamil E. as the one who was hanging around there at the time. E. is seen by police as the man who, after the assassination attempt, drove the car in which he and suspected gunman Delano G. fled.

The garage employee passed on this information that very evening to security guards working for the producer at the RTL Boulevard studio. The police were then informed of the sighting. The information also reached Peter R. de Vries personally, sources confirm to NRC.

Unknown is whether additional security measures were taken around De Vries or the RTL Boulevard studio after the report of the suspicious person. On July 6, Peter R. de Vries was shot in the Lange Leidsedwarsstraat. He died of his injuries on July 15. A spokesperson for RTL Nederland would "not comment on security measures" in the interest of the ongoing investigation and "the safety around programs and our employees."

Damage to his car

Sources who work for the government and the private sector in personal security state that it is very difficult to assess the value of these kinds of reports. Especially with a well-known Dutchman like Peter R. de Vries, who was frequently approached and looked at on the street. De Vries himself accepted this as part of his job. Even after he became the advisor and confidant of Nabil B., the star witness in the criminal case against Ridouan Taghi, De Vries did not want personal protection.

Onno de Jong and Peter Schouten, the lawyers of Nabil B., do receive security because of their work, since their predecessor Derk Wiersum was murdered in September 2019. Despite many conversations about his security, Peter R. de Vries has refused any form of personal security because it would limit his freedom of movement too much. A secured person has to share his agenda with security guards days in advance so that they can make rosters and do preliminary explorations of locations being visited. This is difficult to combine with last-minute appointments or meeting with anonymous sources.

According to De Jong and Schouten, De Vries did discuss lighter forms of security but this was not always followed up. For example, the crime reporter had an agreement with RTL Boulevard security for a long time that they would bring and pick up his car from the Boulevard studio to the parking garage. He then only had to get out at the door. This arrangement was terminated by De Vries himself a few years ago after his car was damaged while parking. Since then he has walked himself from the Boulevard studio to the parking garage, several hundred meters away.

" All alarm bells should have gone off
Peter Schouten - attorney

Taghi's death list

According to lawyers De Jong and Schouten, De Vries did discuss extra security after a report in the autumn of 2020 that he was on Taghi's death list. According to the lawyers, in March of this year the judiciary and police stated that there was no immediate reason for extra security for Peter R. de Vries.

Peter Schouten wonders what the police did with the report about the situation around the Boulevard studio. "Considering everything that happened around star witness Nabil B., all alarm bells should have gone off after the report about following De Vries," Schouten states. "I dare say that there was sufficient reason for the systematic observation of the surroundings of De Vries for the detection of suspects who were mapping out his movements."

According to Schouten, this information should also be included in the investigation announced by Minister of Justice and Security Ferd Grapperhaus (CDA). He has set up a committee headed by former top civil servant Tjibbe Joustra. Lawyers De Jong and Schouten are critical of the minister's approach, in part because they do not consider Joustra independent. Joustra was one of the founders of the NCTV, the organization responsible for threat analyses that form the basis for decisions on the security of persons.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
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Other coverage in Dutch:
Politie kreeg tip over verdacht persoon die Peter R. de Vries volgde
 
The above news has been republished today in another outlet:
Security guard was tipped to suspicious person following De Vries before murder: Telegraaf

Other news:
Attacks similar to De Vries and Wiersum cases possible in the future: police chief

Saturday, October 16, 2021 - 14:00

Attacks similar to De Vries and Wiersum cases possible in the future: police chief​


Police and Public Prosecutors anticipated more attacks similar to the assassination of crime reporter Peter R. de Vries this summer, Amsterdam police chief Frank Paauw said in an interview with EenVandaag (Dutch only).

Lead Public Prosecutor at the Amsterdam court of justice René Beukelaer said that authorities had drawn the "bitter conclusion" that they cannot guarantee total protection. "It is a shocking truth, but it is also a realistic truth," De Beukelaer said.

De Vries was the third person related to the Marengo process to get killed. De Vries had been a confidant of key witness Nabil B. B.'s brother, as well as, his former lawyer Derk Wiersum had both been murdered before the attack on De Vries.

Criminals have also devised more nuanced approaches, according to De Beukelaer. "Everything is possible now," De Beukelaer said. Extra protection measures are also only possible in accordance with the person in need of protection.

Crime reporter De Vries had refused extra security, yet his lawyer and friend Peter Schouten believed this would have been necessary to protect his life. "[De Vries] did not want to share his plans with the police or OM. If he visited a source, he did want it to be known," Schouten said. "He did not want extra protection, but I think it would have been necessary. Although, he did take the threats against him seriously."

Once, he and De Vries requested formal protection from the National Coordinator for Terrorism Prevention (NCTV), yet they denied the request stating that the crime reporter was not officially part of the Marengo process.

The lead officer said they requested half a billion euros from the government to be able to fight organized crime. "This is not a luxury; this is a must to make a difference," De Beukelaer said.

Even with additional funding De Beukelaer said it would only be in "utopia" that 100 percent protection is possible.

Police chief Paauw expected that extra safety measures would be needed in the future in some high-profile cases as the fight against organized crime intensifies
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UPDATE: Peter R. de Vries murder suspect ordered to remain in custody

Monday, December 6, 2021 - 17:44

Peter R. de Vries murder suspect ordered to remain in custody​


Kamil E., suspected of involvement in the murder of Peter R. de Vries, will remain in pre-trial detention for the time being, the court in Amsterdam determined on Monday. His lawyers had called for his release because they said there was insufficient evidence that he had anything to do with the murder. However, the court still sees sufficient reasons to detain him at least until the next hearing, scheduled for the beginning of March.

The 35-year-old man from Poland continued to deny any involvement. He drove someone up and down to Amsterdam on the day De Vries was shot, he previously said, but he did not know about any murder. He also denies testimony that he was seen a week before the shooting during a possible preliminary reconnaissance in Amsterdam. "I am not the person on those camera images. I was with my mother," he said again on Monday during the second preparatory hearing in this case at the Amsterdam District Court.

According to E., his visit to his mother was evidenced by camera images recorded that day. The security camera was in his mother's living room. However, these images were deleted by the police when the SD card was seized, according to the lawyers, because officers were also filmed conducting a search at the mother's house. The defense expressed its outrage that the evidence was destroyed.

Further, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) suspects that E. was also in Amsterdam on June 23 for a preliminary scouting mission to plan the attack. He was in the capital that day, he admitted. "But I have nothing to do with the case."

Co-defendant Delano G., who failed to appear in court on Monday, is suspected of being the shooter. His lawyers have not asked for his release. The court plans to hear the case in full in June.

De Vries was shot on July 6 on Lange Leidsedwarsstraat in Amsterdam after performing on the program RTL Boulevard. He succumbed to his injuries in a hospital nine days later. The OM said on Monday that it has "all appearances" that the murder is related to De Vries's activities. Since the summer of 2020, he was assisting Nabil B., the key witness in the Marengo assassinations process revolving around suspected organized crime boss Ridouan Taghi. In 2018 and 2019, the brother and lawyer of the key witness were also murdered. Partly because of this, De Vries's murder "hit like a bomb."

Reporting by ANP.
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Source: Son of murdered journalist also warned his life is in danger

Monday, January 3, 2022 - 18:46

Son of murdered journalist also warned his life is in danger​


The son of Dutch investigative journalist Peter R. de Vries, who was assassinated on an Amsterdam street, was warned by police that his life is also in danger. Royce de Vries confirmed to Parool (in Dutch) that police are investigating a tip that someone wants the man dead.

Peter R. de Vries was gunned down near Leidseplein on July 6 shortly after appearing on RTL Boulevard, which had a studio on the square. He was assisting Nabil B. at the time of the murder. B. is the star witness testifying against Ridouan Taghi, the alleged organized crime boss linked to multiple murders, attempted killings, and assassination plots. The court proceedings are ongoing, and are collectively known by the randomly-assigned name, Marengo Process.

“The only reason I can think of is that, as a lawyer, I represented the innocent sisters of Nabil B. in a civil matter against the State. I put an end to that when my father was shot," said De Vries. “I was doing that anonymously for security reasons; so confidentially that even other office mates knew nothing about it. However, the investigative services were so careless as to let it leak out, after which it was also reported in the media.”

Authorities believe the threat came from the criminal organization led by Taghi, though no evidence to support this has been uncovered, Parool reported. Back in July, Gerrit van der Burg, the head of the Public Prosecution Service, also said he believed Peter R. de Vries's murder was linked to the Taghi case.

Nabil B.'s brother, Reduan, was also assassinated on March 23, 2018, one week after prosecutors announced that Nabil was cooperating with their investigation. Reduan was not tied to any criminal activity, and was the father of two young children when he died. Reduan was reportedly terrified Taghi would target him to get back at B. Despite authorities acknowledging a year later they handled Nabil B.'s security poorly, his attorney, Derk Wiersum, was shot dead in front of his home in September 2019. The crime was considered to be among the most egregious in recent memory, as was the slaying of De Vries.

The attack on his father "accelerated" the younger De Vries's decision to stop representing Nabil B.'s sisters, he said. “I had to promise my own family in the hospital that I would completely take my hands off the procedures for Nabil B.'s family. It was not the time to be cocky.”

De Vries also was not providing them with assistance related to a criminal matter, like the Marengo Process. He was representing them in a civil matter against the State

Yet again, the sisters were without legal representation, he added. Other attorneys stopped working with members of B.'s family because they were concerned that officials could not keep their identities secret.
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Source: Suspected driver played bigger role in crime reporter's assassination: report

Thursday, January 13, 2022 - 14:40

Suspected driver played bigger role in crime reporter's assassination: report​


Kamil E., accused of being the driver in the assassination of Peter R. de Vries, played a much more significant role in the crime reporter's murder. This is apparent from messages from the encrypted smartphone found in the car in which E. and suspected gunman Delano G. were arrested shortly after the shooting. The authorities managed to decrypt the messages, Het Parool reports (in Dutch).


The extensive chats showed that the 35-year-old E. instructed 22-year-old Delano G. where to go to shoot De Vries. E. also explored the area, explained to G. where De Vries would come from when he left the RTL Boulevard studio, planned their getaway, and communicated with an as-yet-unidentified person about weapons. It appears that this unidentified person instructed E. to perform these actions, according to the newspaper.

Pieter R. de Vries was gunned down after he left the RTL Boulevard studio and was walking to his car parked in a parking garage on Lange Leidsedwarsstraat in Amsterdam. The shooting happened at around 7:30 p.m. on July 6. The crime reported died in hospital on July 15.


Kamil E. always claimed in court and interrogations that he only drove an unknown person to Amsterdam for an unspecified job and got paid 100 euros to do so. He said he knew nothing about the plan to murder De Vries. He also denied doing reconnaissance in the area in advance.
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Older coverage (in Dutch): Moordverdachte hield Peter R. de Vries vaker in de gaten, zegt justitie

NOS News - Domestic - Mon, 6 Dec, 11:53
Murder suspect kept an eye on Peter R. de Vries more often, prosecution says

One of the suspects in the murder of Peter R. de Vries is said to have kept an eye on the crime journalist for longer than thought. The prosecution says it has found more footage of Kamil E., who did a preliminary reconnaissance near the studio of RTL Boulevard in Amsterdam.

Today at the court in Amsterdam was a second hearing in the case about the murder of De Vries. Suspect Delano G. was not present. He would have been the shooter. The suspected driver and scout Kamil E. followed the hearing via a video link.

The prosecution already had footage that would show how E. watched the crime reporter walk from the studio to his car in the week before the murder. That was not for the first time, the OM reported today. His phone appears to have been in Amsterdam more often at times when De Vries was a guest on RTL Boulevard.

Meanwhile, the police also found footage from two weeks before the murder, which would show that Kamil E. was nearby when De Vries walked to the studio. His lawyers question whether it is E. on the images, but according to the prosecutor he wore the same sweater as on the day of the murder and can be recognized by his distinctive tattoos. The suspect himself said today that he was in Amsterdam that day, but not because of Peter R. de Vries.

Investigation completed

The investigation into the murder has been completed, the prosecutor said today. Both suspects were interrogated again by the investigators last month, but invoked their right to remain silent. So far, they have not succeeded in decrypting the seven phones that police found on the suspects' hands.

Although the investigation is complete, it will take at least another six months before the case can be dealt with substantively. The lawyers of the two suspects need more time to determine what they still want to be investigated, they said today.

The lawyers of Kamil E. want to hear from an informant of the police in any case. He would not only have named a client for the murder, but also tipped off that E. did not know that someone would be liquidated. The latter is what the Polish suspect said himself, during the first hearing in October. But the prosecution thinks Delano G. and Kamil E. knew exactly what they were doing.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
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Source: https://nltimes.nl/2022/10/10/de-vries-murdered-putting-nose-doesnt-belong-suspect-tapped-call

Monday, 10 October 2022 - 08:19

De Vries murdered for "putting his nose where it doesn't belong": suspect in tapped call​


Peter R. de Vries was killed because he “stuck his nose everywhere it doesn’t belong,” one of the suspects in his murder said in a tapped phone call with his girlfriend on the night the crime reporter was murdered. “That’s why they shot him,” suspect Christopher W. said, police sources told EenVandaag (Dutch only).

According to the program, the 27-year-old W. and two other men were ordered to murder De Vries in the spring of 2021. But the order eventually went to someone else because they were taking too long, and W. got arrested at the end of May to serve a sentence in another case. The crime reporter was gunned down outside the RTL Boulevard studio in Amsterdam on 6 July 2021, allegedly by Delano G., with Kamil E. acting as the getaway driver.

Christopher W. is one of the suspects in the 26Hendon investigation into the people who orchestrated De Vries’s murder. According to EenVandaag, from prison, he regularly spoke and gave orders to suspects Gerower M. (26) and Erickson O. (27). They are accused of filming De Vries’s shooting and posting the footage on social media to increase the impact of the crime.

In a call with Christopher W. early in June 2021, Gerower M. and Erickson O. said they “started working” on their “observation.” On 6 July 2021, W. called the two from prison, and they said they were “on their way.” Vehicle registration records show them driving from Rotterdam to Amsterdam in a gray Peugeot 206 at the time. They were right behind the car carrying alleged gunman Delano G. and Kamil E.

Later that night, W. was talking on the phone with his girlfriend, who told him about De Vries being shot. “Nice for him,” W. responded. His girlfriend responded angrily, and W. said that De Vries “stuck his nose everywhere it doesn’t belong. That’s why they shot him.” Investigators recently added this tapped call to the investigation file, EenVandaag’s sources said.

In another call on 1 August, Christopher W. talked about alleged gunman Delano G., saying “that kid who did it is a rapper. He did it for the fame.” W. also said, “that little man has lost everything,” and that Delano G. and Kamil E. were “stupid and hasty.”

In the year before his murder, De Vries acted as a confidant for key witness Nabil B. in the Marengo assassinations trial, which revolves around several murders and attempted murders allegedly orchestrated by Ridouan Taghi. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) assumes Taghi also ordered De Vries’s murder. The OM demanded life in prison against Taghi in the Marengo case.

The first court hearing in the 26Hendon case will take place on Thursday. It could have implications for the ongoing court case against Delano G. and Kamil E., accused of committing De Vries’s murder. Their next hearing is early next month when the presiding judges could decide to start the trial over because of the new arrests and one judge’s resignation, or deliver a verdict as closing arguments were already submitted.
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Similar: https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2022/...-r-de-vries-was-killed-for-marengo-case-role/
 
Source: Peter R. de Vries murder was a terrorist act, prosecutor says; New suspect extradited

Thursday, 13 October 2022 - 20:00

Peter R. de Vries murder was a terrorist act, prosecutor says; New suspect extradited​


Two of the new suspects arrested during the investigation into the murder of Peter R. de Vries were "sent to Amsterdam" specifically to film and photograph the crime reporter as he laid bloodied and seriously injured on the ground on the Lange Leidsedwarsstraat in Amsterdam. "Extremely shocking images. The distribution of these shows the terrorist intent," said the Public Prosecution Service (OM) on Thursday during a first public hearing against the two men, Erickson O. (27) and Gerower M.C. (26), as well as their co-defendant, Krystian M. (27).
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_______________________________________________________________________
De drie verdachten in dit nieuwe proces over de moord op #PeterRdeVries. Links de vermeende filmer Gerower M, in het midden Erickson O. en rechts (met capuchon en mondkapje) de vermeende Poolse aanstuurder Krystian M. Weer uitstekend getekend door @PetraUrban. pic.twitter.com/Xl5XHqek2w
— Jermaine Ellenkamp (@thejermaine) October 13, 2022https://twitter.com/thejermaine/status/1580564721924595712?ref_src=twsrc^tfw
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The three defendants in this new trial on the murder of #PeterRdeVries. On the left the alleged filmmaker Gerower M, in the middle Erickson O. and on the right (wearing hoodie and mouthpiece) the alleged Polish instigator Krystian M. Again excellently drawn by @PetraUrban. pic.twitter.com/Xl5XHqek2w
- Jermaine Ellenkamp (@thejermaine) October 13, 2022
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M. is also from Poland, as is Kamil E., who was accused of being the getaway driver after De Vries was shot. Another suspect in the case was extradited from Poland on Wednesday.

The assassination attempt was a terrorist act, the OM said in court on Thursday. De Vries was well-known nationally as a prominent crime reporter. He was shot in a busy nightlife area in the center of Amsterdam. The suspects shared the images on social media. These are all elements that make the crime an act with terrorist intent, prosecutors said.

The three men in court refused to say anything in the packed courtroom. The court ruled that they will remain in pre-trial detention at least for the coming months. The court noted that it considers the suspicion of terrorist intent to be strong for the time being.

The Public Prosecution Service suspects Krystian M. of co-perpetrating or organizing the murder. Before, during and after the attack, he was in direct contact with Kamil E. and Delano G., the man suspected of pulling the trigger. Krystian M. is accused of guiding them and giving them direction. According to the Public Prosecution Service, he also held meetings with them.

The suspected perpetrators of the murder, Delano G. and Kamil E., faced court hearings in a separate trial. The Public Prosecution Service demanded life imprisonment against them. In June, the court postponed the verdict indefinitely, when the OM disclosed there was a new witness who had crucial information to the case. The disclosure was made shortly before the verdict was to be released.

This witness established multiple details about the case, including a connection between M. and Ridouan Taghi, who is said to have commissioned the murder. Taghi has not been charged with that crime. De Vries was a confidant of Nabil B., the prosecution’s key witness in the extensive organized crime trial where Taghi is the main suspect in a series of murders and attempted assassinations.

The next hearing for Delano G. and Kamil E. will be early next month. The presiding judges could decide to start the trial over because of the new arrests and one judge’s resignation, or deliver a verdict as closing arguments were already submitted.

O. and M.C. were caught by surveillance cameras at the time of the attack. The images showed that they were in McDonald's for about 45 minutes, opposite the RTL Boulevard studio in the center of Amsterdam. De Vries participated in that program on the evening in question.

As he left the studio shortly after 7:30 p.m. and walked to his car in a parking garage further down the road, O. and M.C. followed him, with their mobile phones ready. When De Vries was allegedly shot by Delano G., near the parking garage, at least one of them took pictures, the OM claimed.

The next interim hearing in the case is on January 6.

Poland extradited a 30-year-old man arrested there last month for suspected involvement in the murder of Peter R. de Vries to the Netherlands, the Public Prosecution Service (OM) said on Thursday. He still has to be arraigned, so he will not be part of today’s pro-forma hearing in the investigation into those who ordered and orchestrated the crime writer’s assassination.

The 30-year-old Polish man was arrested on September 26 and landed at Schiphol on Wednesday. According to the OM, he helped prepare the attack on De Vries. The man is charged with complicity in murder with terrorist intent. He will be arraigned on Friday.

Reporting by ANP and NL Times
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Source (Dutch only): https://www.msn.com/nl-nl/nieuws/Binnenland/rechtbank-voegt-strafzaken-moord-de-vries-samen/

Court merges criminal cases murder De Vries
ANP - 6 hours ago

AMSTERDAM (ANP) - The court in Amsterdam will hear the cases of three new suspects in the murder of Peter R. de Vries simultaneously with those of the two suspected perpetrators. The court announced this on Tuesday.

The three new suspects were arrested in July. They are two men who allegedly filmed the attack on De Vries and the man who allegedly directed the two suspected perpetrators.

This pair, Delano G. and Kamil E., were arrested shortly after the assassination attempt on July 6 last year. They stood trial in June. The prosecution demanded a life sentence against both of them. Shortly before the court was due to pronounce sentence, the prosecution came up with a package of hitherto unknown statements from an anonymous witness. The court was then forced to reopen the investigation and postpone the scheduled verdict. As a result, the case is still ongoing.

On Thursday it will presumably become clear whether this trial will have to be held again, due to the departure of one of the three judges abroad. By law, a new, replacement judge cannot simply join an ongoing trial unless all parties agree.

Prosecution opposition

A first procedural hearing against the three new suspects took place on Oct. 13, with different judges. The lawyer of one suspected instigator, Ronald van der Horst, then urged that all cases be combined and tried by the judges in charge of the case against G. and E. According to Van der Horst, all suspects are accused of involvement in one and the same murder. He believes it is important for a proper assessment of the cases that the same three judges consider the whole case.

Van der Horst is counsel not only for Delano G., but also for alleged instigator Krystian M. He has found that the two files do not contain completely the same documents, even though they may be relevant to the assessment of the various cases. All litigants and therefore also the judges should have access to all information, he believes.

The prosecution opposed counsel's proposal, but the court overruled those objections. The court came to the conclusion that it would be better to assign the cases of all suspects concerning the murder of De Vries to the same three judges.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
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Similar: Twee rechtszaken over moord Peter R. de Vries samen behandeld
 
Source (Dutch only): Kroongetuige Nabil B. vindt niks meer belangrijk: 'U kunt zelf wel invullen waarom'

Brother murdered
Key witness Nabil B. finds nothing important anymore: 'You can fill in the reasons yourself'
1 hour 6 minutes ago - Updated: 1 hour 3 minutes ago

In an off-guard moment, key witness Nabil B. told this morning how he currently views the Marengo liquidation trial. "I don't think anything is important anymore. It doesn't interest me any longer." The court, prosecutors and B.'s lawyers immediately intervened.

Since it became known in early 2018 that B. had come forward as a key witness, his innocent brother, his lawyer and his confidant Peter R. de Vries were murdered.

Reduction of sentence

Today B. will be heard in the case of Saïd R., the alleged right-hand man of Ridouan Taghi, prime suspect in the extensive criminal case.

R.'s lawyers questioned the key witness about his motives for switching to the prosecution. "For me it was important then to know how long I would have to spend behind bars ultimately," B. replied, referring to the arrangement that a key witness can get sentence reductions.

"And now?" asked R.'s lawyer.

B. then replied with a sigh that nothing is important to him now.

After follow-up questions from R.'s lawyer, several sides intervened. However, B. himself wanted to say a few words afterwards. "You are asking me a personal question. I am in a different position now than I was five years ago. You can fill in the reasons yourself."

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
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Source: Peter R de Vries murder trial must be held again after judge leaves NL - DutchNews.nl

Peter R de Vries murder trial must be held again after judge leaves NL​

November 3, 2022

The trial of two men accused of murdering television crime reporter Peter R. de Vries must be carried out for a second time, following delays after a new witness came forward, a court in Amsterdam has ruled.

Two men, Delano G and Kamil E were facing life in jail but the case was reopened this summer, shortly before the verdict, after a new witness gave a statement. One of the three judges then moved abroad during the delay.

The court has ruled that retrial needs to be held because of the change in the judges’ line-up. A case can only be continued in such a situation if the public prosecution department and defense agree.

Although the prosecution and Delano G’s lawyer did not want a retrial, Kamil E’s defense insisted on it. ‘The judges who will decide on his involvement must be aware of all the evidence and statements,’ Ayse Çimen said. ‘And that means the case must be heard again.’

De Vries was shot five times while walking to his car on the Leidsedwarsstraat in Amsterdam in July 2021, as he left a TV studio. G and E were arrested shortly afterwards.
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Similar: Court orders new trial in Peter R. de Vries murder after new arrests, delays

Dutch coverage:
https://www.nu.nl/peter-r-de-vries/6233822/strafzaak-over-moord-peter-r-de-vries-moet-opnieuw.
Rechtszaak over moord op Peter R. de Vries moet over
Breaking: rechtszaak rondom moord Peter R. de Vries moet opnieuw
Proces over moord Peter R. de Vries moet worden overgedaan
Met reserverechter had zaak Peter R. de Vries niet over gehoeven

Advocaten verdachten Peter R.: 'Optreden OM beschamend'
Familie Peter R. de Vries over uitgesteld strafproces: 'Zal nog jaren duren'
https://www.msn.com/nl-nl/nieuws/Binnenland/familie-peter-r-vries-proces-nog-jaren-onderdeel-van-ons-leven/
 
Source: Taghi's relative gets 5.5 years in prison for "key role" in criminal organization

Monday, 23 January 2023 - 10:41
Last update 12:42 p.m. - more information throughout the article

Taghi's relative gets 5.5 years in prison for "key role" in criminal organization​


On Monday, the court in Amsterdam sentenced 39-year-old Youssef T., the former lawyer and relative of suspected criminal gang leader Ridouan Taghi, to 5.5 years in prison. According to the court, evidence has proven that T. played a “key role” in Taghi’s organization. He made an “essential contribution” to the organization and was “an indispensable link” for Taghi while he abused his confidential position as a lawyer in a “very sophisticated way,” the court said.

According to the court, the Youssef T. file is an “example of how organized crime penetrates the upper world” and thus “seriously undermines the rule of law.” The aim of T.’s cooperation with Taghi was, among other things, to help Taghi escape or break out of prison.

Ridouan Taghi is the main suspect in the massive Marengo trial, which revolves around multiple assassinations and attempts thereto. He is in custody in the high-security prison in Vught.

T. became one of Taghi’s lawyers in March 2021 and visited him at the Vught prison many times. Over time, the judiciary discovered that the conversations between the two men were not about legal matters but criminal issues. T. acted as messenger, passing messages between Taghi in prison and alleged accomplices in the outside world.

After an investigation in which the two were secretly filmed and wiretapped, the police arrested T. on 8 October 2021 during a visit to Taghi. He has been in custody ever since. The Public Prosecution Service (OM) demanded seven years in prison against him. The court came to a lower sentence because it did not find it conclusively proven that T. passed on all the messages in the file. It is also not clear which crimes actually occurred because of these messages being passed on.

T. told the court that he cooperated with his criminal relative under immense pressure. But the OM believes that there was no such pressure. The court ruled that it cannot be determined whether T. passed on the messages freely or because he was pressured to do so.

T. “grossly damaged the confidence of his profession, but also society’s confidence in the legal profession and the rule of law,” the court said. “His actions have also sparked a political debate about the current rules regarding visits by lawyers to suspects in detention and whether those rules still suffice. This illustrates the social impact of this case.” T. is no longer a lawyer.

Reporting by ANP
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Source: Another new suspect arrested in 2021 assassination of journalist Peter R. de Vries

Monday, 23 January 2023 - 17:47

Another new suspect arrested in 2021 assassination of journalist Peter R. de Vries​


Police in the Netherlands arrested at least the eighth man accused of involvement in the murder of crime reporter Peter R. de Vries. The journalist was shot in the head in Amsterdam on July 6, 2021, shortly after he appeared on an episode of the television show RTL Boulevard. De Vries died nine days later.

The latest suspect was arrested on Monday in Tilburg, said the Public Prosecution Service (OM). “The man arrested today is believed to have been involved in the preparation of the attack,” the OM said in a statement. Investigators think he is part of the “criminal group” that organized and carried out the murder.

No biographical details about the man were revealed. It was not said if he lives in Tilburg, or where he was arrested. He was being kept in restricted custody, and was only allowed to have contact with his legal representation.

The first two suspects in the case were arrested less than an hour after the shooting. Delano G., a 23-year-old from Rotterdam, was found in a car with 36-year-old Polish man Kamil E. Delano G. is believed to have pulled the trigger, while E. served as his getaway driver. The two men were tried last year, but while the judges were preparing to issue their verdict in the case, police made several more arrests. Prosecutors had demanded life imprisonment for both.

Additionally, information provided by a new confidential witness prompted the judges to order a restart to the trial. Krystian M., a 27-year-old from Poland, is accused of orchestrating the murder. The anonymous witness, known only as witness number 5089, said he was one of Krystian M.’s friends. The witness said that M. hinted that alleged crime boss Ridouan Taghi ordered the murder of De Vries. Taghi has denied any involvement in the case.

The DNA from Konrad W., a 30-year-old from Poland, was allegedly found on the murder weapon and in the getaway car. Prosecutors alleged that he helped supply the weapons used in the attack, the vehicle, and a bottle of petrol meant that the perpetrators could use to set the car on fire after the murder. He was arrested in his home country. Gerower M., Erickson O., and Christopher W. allegedly shot videos of De Vries after he was shot which were meant to go viral on social media.

The trial of the men accused of taking part in the organization of the crime is happening simultaneously with the retrial of Delano G. and Kamil E.
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