The trial for the suspects accused of involvement in the fatal shooting of Dutch investigative reporter Peter R. de Vries in Amsterdam in 2021 opened on Tuesday. Delano G., one of the nine suspects, is accused of gunning down De Vries in broad daylight on July 6, 2021. However, during the trial, the suspects repeatedly refused to answer questions from judges and lawyers.
De Vries, a prominent reporter and television presenter, died nine days after the shooting at the age of 64. His son and daughter were present in court to observe the proceedings.
The killing of De Vries shocked the Netherlands and led to an outpouring of grief. Dutch King Willem-Alexander described it as “an attack on journalism, the cornerstone of our constitutional state and therefore also an attack on the rule of law.”
De Vries had been an adviser and confidant for a protected witness in a trial involving an alleged crime gang. The witness’s brother and lawyer were also murdered. The trial for the alleged gang leader, Ridouan Taghi, and other members had been scheduled to deliver a verdict next month but is likely to be delayed due to further hearings.
During the trial, some of the defendants denied any involvement in the assassination, while others asserted their right to remain silent. Security camera footage was presented, showing a man believed to be the getaway driver trailing De Vries in the street before the shooting. The alleged shooter was arrested less than an hour after the attack, along with a Polish national identified as Kamil E., who was the alleged getaway driver. Prosecutors stated that the weapon used in the shooting was found in their car.
The trial, which includes the two suspects from the 2022 trial and seven others arrested in connection with the slaying, is expected to run until the end of February. Verdicts are likely to be announced in the following weeks.
