Trial to open of alleged killers of Dutch reporter De Vries

THE HAGUE – The proceedings opens Monday of 2 men charged with execution successful the sidesplitting of Dutch transgression newsman Peter R. de Vries, who was gunned down successful the halfway of Amsterdam, a brazen onslaught that sent shockwaves done the Netherlands.

Dutch constabulary accidental the suspected gunman is simply a 21-year-old Dutch man. A 35-year-old Polish antheral is accused of being the getaway driver. They some were arrested soon aft De Vries was changeable July 6 connected an Amsterdam thoroughfare aft making 1 of his regular appearances connected a Dutch tv show. He died 9 days later.

Monday’s preliminary proceeding astatine Amsterdam District Court volition not measure grounds successful the case, but is expected to perceive a summary of the probe truthful acold and imaginable requests for further investigations from the suspects’ lawyers.

The shooting sparked an outpouring of grief — thousands lined up extracurricular an Amsterdam theatre to wage their past respects days aft his decease — and condemnation successful the Netherlands.

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Prime Minister Mark Rutte called the shooting an “attack connected a courageous writer and besides an onslaught connected the escaped journalism that is truthful indispensable for our democracy, our law state, our society.”

De Vries was the Netherlands’ astir celebrated transgression journalist, reporting connected and penning a bestselling publication astir the 1983 kidnapping of brew magnate Freddy Heineken and campaigning tirelessly to resoluteness acold cases and wide the names of wrongfully convicted people.

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