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Post by pieter on Jul 15, 2021 8:49:30 GMT -7
Peter R de Vries: Dutch crime reporter dies after shootingMr de Vries acted as an adviser to people involved in criminal casesThe prominent Dutch crime reporter Peter R de Vries, who was shot and seriously wounded in central Amsterdam nine days ago, has died."Peter fought to the end, but was unable to win the battle," a statement from his relatives said.
The 64-year-old was shot in the head minutes after leaving a TV studio.
The shooting shocked the Netherlands, where Mr de Vries was well-known for his investigations of mobsters and drug lords. Two suspects were arrested.
Mr de Vries had won critical acclaim for his reporting on the Dutch underworld - including the 1983 kidnapping of the beer millionaire Freddy Heineken.
The statement released by his relatives on Thursday said he died "surrounded by the people who love him"."Peter has lived by his conviction: 'On bended knee is no way to be free'," the statement added.
The family asked for space to process his death in peace.A sea of Flowers have been left at the spot where he was shotDutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the veteran journalist was "afraid of nothing and no one".
"We owe it to Peter R de Vries to ensure that justice takes its course," he tweeted.
Mr de Vries was attacked on the evening of 6 July while walking away from a television studio following a chat show on the Lange Leidsedwarsstraat in central Amsterdam.
Five shots were fired at close range and he was hit in the head.
His son, Royce de Vries, said at the time that the family's "worst nightmare came true".Peter R de Vries's son Royce de Vries, said at the time that the family's "worst nightmare came true"Peter R de Vries with his son Royce de VriesAward-winning journalistWell known for his coverage of the criminal underworld, Mr de Vries covered many high-profile crimes, including the Heineken abduction.
In 2013, Mr Heineken's kidnapper, Willem Holleeder, was convicted of making threats against the journalist.
One of the Netherlands' most notorious gangsters, Holleeder, was given a life sentence in 2019 for his involvement in five murders.
A novel Mr de Vries wrote about the case was later adapted into the movie Kidnapping Freddy Heineken, starring Anthony Hopkins.
The journalist also won an Emmy Award for a television show he made about Natalee Holloway, a US teenager who disappeared on the Caribbean island of Aruba in 2005.
He frequently acted as a spokesperson for witnesses in police or court cases, and had been acting as an adviser to Nabil B, a former gang member testifying in the case against alleged drug lord Ridouan Taghi.
Mr de Vries had previously faced danger because of his work and needed police protection after receiving threats in connection with his coverage of criminal cases.
In 2019, police told him he was on the hit list of the Netherlands' most wanted criminal.The Dutch version of the Heineken kidnapping
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Post by pieter on Jul 15, 2021 8:58:17 GMT -7
Peter R de Vries as young crime reporter with the Amsterdam criminals Cor van Hout and Wille Holleder, the Heineken kidnappersPeter R de Vries with Cor van Hout. Crime reporters often know criminal personally, but they are not part of the organised crime world. That makes their job extremely dangerous due to the rivalry between criminals, rented killers and hitmen.Assassination Cor van HoutCor van HoutCor van Hout and Willem Holleeder (right) in the Palace of Justice (Amsterdam)Cornelis (Cor) van Hout (18 August 1957 – 24 January 2003) was a Dutch criminal and mastermind of the kidnapping of beer magnate Freddy Heineken.LifeKidnapping and imprisonmentDuring the abduction, Van Hout collaborated with Willem Holleeder, Frans Meijer, Martin Erkamps and Jan Boellaard. The five men abducted Freddy Heineken and his driver Ab Doderer in front of Heineken's office on 9 November 1983, after which they imprisoned the two men for a period of three weeks in a Quonset hut in Westpoort, a part of Amsterdam, asking a ransom for Heineken of 35 million guilders (about Euro 17,5)
After the release of the hostages on 30 November, Van Hout and Holleeder managed to escape. They both fled to Paris. However, the two men were arrested by the French police on 29 February 1984. They fought extradition to the Netherlands and were at first placed under house arrest in a hotel on 6 December 1985, before being transferred on 13 February 1986 first to Guadeloupe, then to Saint Barthélemy, then to the French part of Saint Martin, then to Île Tintamarre, then again to Guadeloupe. Finally, they were taken back to Europe, where they were at first held in a hotel in Évry before being brought to a French prison. They were finally extradited to the Netherlands on 31 October 1986.
On 19 February 1987, Van Hout and Holleeder were both sentenced to eleven years in prison, with deduction of the time they had already spent in confinement.
Shortly after his release Van Hout was jailed once again, this time for four years, for his role in a drug smuggling ring.
After two earlier failed attempts, Van Hout was assassinated on 24 January 2003 in Amstelveen, a year after being freed a second time, and had a "mafia-style" funeral, with a white hearse pulled by eight Friesian horses leading a procession of 15 white limousines.
In July 2019, his former friend Willem Holleeder was convicted for his involvement in a series of murders, including ordering the assassination of Van Hout, and the manslaughter of a person who was accompanying Van Hout at the time of the assassination.
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Post by pieter on Jul 15, 2021 9:07:31 GMT -7
The person behind Peter R de Vries assassination is probably a henchman of Ridouan Taghi, a notorious Dutch Moroccan gangster and drugscriminal. Ridouan TaghiRidouan Taghi (born 20 December 1977) is a Moroccan-Dutch suspect for involvement in at least ten murders related to organised crime, as well as for his involvement in drug trafficking and the leading of a criminal organisation. He is currently held at Nieuw Vosseveld, a maximum security prison in Vught. Until his late 2019 arrest in Dubai, Taghi was the most wanted criminal in the Netherlands with a record-breaking reward of €100,000.AccusationsTaghi's suspected crimes include ordering the murder of Redouan B. (brother of crown witness Nabil B.) and of Nabil B.'s lawyer, Derk Wiersum. The latter was considered an attack on the Dutch legal system.
Documents produced by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of the United States were sent to the Dutch police exposed what appeared to be a super drug cartel headed by Ridouan Taghi, Raffaele Imperiale (Camorra's drugs and arms dealer), Daniel Kinahan (Irish reputed gang boss) and Edin Gačanin (Bosnian drug trafficker). The group was observed by the DEA having meetings in the Burj Al Arab hotel in Dubai, where the base of the alleged cartel is stationed. The meetings took place in 2017, however, it only reached the Dutch media in October 2019. The DEA regards this as one of the world's fifty largest drug cartels, with virtually a monopoly over the Peruvian cocaine controlling around a third of the total European cocaine trade. Yet, according to the DEA documents, the destination for all the drugs shipments would be to shipping ports in the Netherlands.
Taghi managed to evade capture by constantly altering his appearance and using false passports and visas. He was arrested in Dubai on 16 December 2019. As the Netherlands does not have an extradition treaty with the United Arab Emirates, Taghi was deported three days after his arrest; based on him being declared a persona non grata by the government, as he had entered the UAE under a false identity. He is being held at Nieuw Vosseveld in Vughta town in the province North Brababt in the south of the Netherlands. The trial is currently ongoing in high-security De Bunker courtroom in Amsterdam. (see 3 video's below)
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Post by pieter on Jul 15, 2021 9:13:10 GMT -7
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Post by pieter on Jul 15, 2021 9:22:53 GMT -7
Marengo processThe Marengo process or Marengo trial is a trial of leading members of the Mocro Mafia, a Dutch-Moroccan criminal organisation. 17 suspects are standing trial for involvement in various murders and attempted murders. The name of the process was picked at random by a computer and relates to a fabric named Marengo.The mafia had an efficient killing machine including specially selected individuals and a fixed division of labour.
The investigative journalist and crime reporter Peter R. de Vries was supporting the crown witness in the trial.fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Proc%C3%A8s_Marengo
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Post by pieter on Jul 15, 2021 9:34:17 GMT -7
German government condemns Dutch journalist killing
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Post by pieter on Jul 15, 2021 9:36:58 GMT -7
Peter R de Vries investigated the murder of John F. Kennedy
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Post by pieter on Jul 15, 2021 9:39:57 GMT -7
Peter R. de Vries was threatened with death in May 2019. Ridouan Taghi, the most wanted criminal in the Netherlands, ordered his liquidation. The police and the Public Prosecution Service informed him of this.
"I try to let it affect my doings as little as possible."
Peter R de Vries in 2019
The De Vries case is serious and influential, because organised crime today has influence on the press and the legal system in the Netherlands, by threatening and killing journalists and lawjers.
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Post by pieter on Jul 15, 2021 9:45:29 GMT -7
Peter R de Vries collaborated and cooperated a lot with the Amsterdam police and other Police departments. So also Amsterdam police officers were emotional and touched by his death. With his passing a lot of investigative knowledge of organised crime is gone.At the spot where the journalist was shot, Amsterdam residents lay flowersFather and son De Vries in better daysSadly Peter R de Vries has lost the battle and the thugs who did this to him are still alive. Sometimes the world looks like a place of injustice, inequality and darkness. But we have to keep hope and keep fighting for the Rechtstaat ( en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rechtsstaat ), separation of powers (Trias Politica), Freedom & Democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of gathering, freedom to investigate things, the freedom to be critical and the freedom of being who you are. A fight against the darkness of organised crime, extremism, sectarianism, corruption, Fraud, clientelism, nepotism, totalitarianism, authoritarianism and obscurantism.
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Post by karl on Jul 15, 2021 12:52:31 GMT -7
Pieter
Although of not knowing Mr. de Vries, I am very sorry to hear of this sad news of his death. It is quiet apparant of the many that liked him in spite of the few by the great number of flowers left in his memory. It is of great hope that those responsible will face the greatest punishment allowed under the courts decision..
Good will over come bad, but in doing so, good had better be very tricky..
Karl
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Post by pieter on Jul 16, 2021 4:20:40 GMT -7
Famous Dutch crime journalist Peter R. de Vries dies in hospital after being shot in the streetBy Mick Krever and Eliza Mackintosh, CNN
Updated 1501 GMT (2301 HKT) July 15, 2021Celebrity Dutch crime reporter Peter R. de Vries was known for his investigative work exposing the criminal underworld. (CNN)Dutch crime journalist Peter R. de Vries has died just over a week after being shot in the head in Amsterdam, according to a statement by his family published by CNN affiliate RTL News.
"Peter fought to the end, but he could not win the battle. He is surrounded by people that love him," the statement said. "Peter lived by his conviction: 'On bended knee is no way to be free.' We are impossibly proud of him and at the same time inconsolable.
"His family, partner, and loved ones want to process his death in peace and we ask everyone to respect that."
The 64-year-old, known for his investigative work exposing the criminal underworld, was shot five times, including at least once in the head, on July 6, on a busy street in central Amsterdam shortly after leaving the RTL TV studios, where he frequently appeared on air as a criminal expert.
De Vries was a household name in the Netherlands, renowned for pursuing cold cases, exposing miscarriages of justice and hosting his own televised investigative show for nearly two decades, he had regularly received death threats in connection with several cases.
Caretaker Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said Thursday that his passing was "almost impossible to comprehend," and that his murder "must not go unpunished." "Peter R. de Vries was always dedicated, tenacious, afraid of nothing and no one. Always looking for the truth and standing up for justice. And therefore all the more dramatic that he himself has now become victim to a great injustice," Rutte said in a statement on Twitter.
"We owe it to Peter R. de Vries to ensure that justice takes its course. We may and will never tolerate this in the Netherlands." Amsterdam's mayor also paid tribute to de Vries, calling him "courageous, free-spirited, and determined."
"He helped people in their fight for justice and kept the rule of law on track with his critical attitude towards authorities and investigative bodies," Femke Halsema said in a statement. "For that we are very grateful to him."Police respond to the scene of the shooting of Peter R. de Vries in Amsterdam.Just hours after de Vries was shot, Dutch police pulled over and arrested two men on the A4 highway near Leidschendam, whom they suspect of "direct involvement in the shooting incident." They are a 35-year-old Polish man who lived in the Dutch town of Maurik, and a 21-year-old man who lived in Rotterdam, according to Dutch police.
RTL news reported on July 9 that a magistrate judge had extended their detention for at least a further two weeks.
Over the last year, de Vries, who was also the director of a law firm, had been acting as a counselor to the key witness testifying in a trial against Ridouan Taghi, known as the Netherlands' most-wanted man, who was arrested in Dubai in 2019 and is now facing murder and drug trafficking charges.
De Vries is the third associate of the witness, known as Nabil B, to be killed, according to RTL News. In 2018, the witness's brother, Reduan B, was shot dead. A year later, the lawyer for the witness was fatally gunned down in an Amsterdam street.
In 2019, Taghi publicly denied reports that he had threatened to have de Vries killed.
Dutch and European leaders last week condemned the shooting of de Vries as an attack against journalism and democracy. Rutte said it was "an attack on a courageous journalist, and with that, an attack on free journalism, which is so essential for our democracy."
The head of the European Council, Charles Michel, described the shooting in a post on Twitter as "a crime against journalism and an attack on our values of democracy and rule of law."
Press freedom campaigners have also condemned the attack and pushed for a thorough probe, with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) calling on Dutch authorities to determine whether De Vries was "targeted for his work."
Tom Gibson, CPJ's EU representative and advocacy manager, said: "Journalists in the EU must be able to investigate crime and corruption without fearing for their safety."
De Vries was not only highly regarded within the Netherlands for his work uncovering wrongdoing. In 2018, he won an international Emmy Award in the news and current affairs category for his undercover investigation into the disappearance of teenager Natalee Holloway in Aruba three year before. He is also well-known for his extensive reporting on the 1983 abduction of beer magnate Freddy Heineken.
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Post by pieter on Jul 16, 2021 4:26:50 GMT -7
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Post by pieter on Jul 16, 2021 4:50:31 GMT -7
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Post by karl on Jul 16, 2021 13:46:30 GMT -7
Pieter
""Comment Pieter: "Those who fear not die often before they suppose to die. Peter R de Vries was one of those. He knew the risks he took, because he investigated murders, assassinations, kindnappings and missing children and teenagers. He knew the world of those people who killed him. He didn't deserve to die. He was a force on the good side. Helping people in grief who lost loved ones, lost partners or children due to murders. He was a Pit bull terrier. Once he took a case he worked on it to the bitter end. Also in this 'Marengo process', which costed his life. The lawjers of the Crown witness Nabil B. will miss Peter R de Vries dearly. The investigative journalist and crime reporter Peter R. de Vries was supporting Nabil B. in the trial.""
Very well spoken I must say...
Karl
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