Verdict in Amsterdam

28 years in prison for murder of reporter de Vries

Three men have been found guilty of the murder of Dutch crime reporter Peter R. de Vries and sentenced to long prison terms of up to 28 years. Almost three years after the murder in Amsterdam, the judges on Wednesday also sentenced four other defendants to prison terms of up to 14 years for aiding and abetting. Two defendants were acquitted.

For the judges, the guilt of the three main defendants was proven beyond doubt. They had no respect for human life, said the judges in the heavily guarded high-security court in Amsterdam. The public prosecutor's office had demanded life imprisonment.

Shot down in the middle of Amsterdam
The prominent TV reporter was gunned down in the middle of Amsterdam in the summer of 2021 at the age of 64. He later succumbed to his serious injuries. The crime shocked the country. Two main suspects were arrested immediately after the crime. They were the shooter Delano G. (24) and the driver of the getaway car, Kamil E. (38). Both have now been sentenced to 28 years in prison.

The third main perpetrator, Krystian M. (29), is considered a "murder broker" and was sentenced to 26 years in prison. Only M. had admitted complicity and apologized to the victim's relatives.

The defendants also invoked their right to remain silent and refused to testify. Like the prosecution, they can appeal against the verdicts.

Connection to notorious drug gang
According to the prosecution, the drug gang of notorious criminal Ridouan Taghi was responsible for the murder. De Vries was a confidant of the key witness who had testified in a major criminal trial against Taghi and his accomplices. Previously, the brother and the defense lawyer of the key witness had already been murdered. However, there is no evidence of the Taghi gang's responsibility. Taghi was sentenced to life imprisonment in February, but for other murders.