Six individuals have been handed prison terms ranging from 10 to 28 years for their role in the killing of Dutch journalist Peter R de Vries, which took place in July 2021. De Vries was subjected to multiple gunshot wounds at close quarters on a bustling Amsterdam street and succumbed to his injuries in the hospital nine days post the incident.
The Amsterdam court recognised the profound impact the murder had on Dutch society, however, it ruled that there was insufficient evidence to link any of the accused to “terroristic intent in murder.”
Delago G, the 24-year-old who discharged the lethal shots, and Kamil E, the 38-year-old escape car driver were both found guilty of murder and each received a 28-year sentence. Their attack on De Vries as he exited broadcaster RTL’s office was labelled “ruthless” by the judges.
Meanwhile, Krystian M, aged 29, who was regarded as the coordinator of the killing and liaison to the murder instigator, was likewise convicted of murder and received a 26-year sentence. This is in addition to an existing four-year term he was already serving.
The court’s statement highlighted the calculated nature of the crime, “Indicating that there was an intentional strategy and each of the three had full knowledge of their roles in its execution.”
The public prosecutor wanted life imprisonment for these three men, but the court deemed it “unsuitable” due to the lack of past convictions related to murder or manslaughter.
Konrad W, the 31-year-old who supplied the weaponry for the murder was handed a 14-year sentence for being complicit in the murder. He backed out of being the killer as executing such an attack in a public area without a gun silencer was deemed “too hazardous.”
Erickson O and Gerower M, both aged 29 and 27 respectively, initially faced charges of “inciting fear with terroristic intent” given they filmed the shooting scene and shared it on social media. Both of them were sentenced to 10 years, as the court removed the “terroristic intent” from their convictions.
The court justified this by stating that notwithstanding the significant destabilisation caused to Dutch society by the killing, it doesn’t imply an inherent terroristic intent.
In the case relating to the death of Mr De Vries, a man named Ludgardo S, aged 35, was cleared of involvement in murder, but received a four-week jail term due to a drug-related crime. Two others, namely Divainy K and Christopher W, were absolved of all allegations. Family members of Mr De Vries, including his ex-wife Jacqueline and children, Royce and Kelly were present in court when the judgment was announced. At the moment when he died, De Vries was counselling a crucial witness in the prosecution of Ridouan Taghi, previously the most notorious offender in the Netherlands. Earlier this year, Taghi was condemned to life imprisonment for his roles in murder and drug dealing.