London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Oct 23, 2025

Dutch crime reporter Peter R. de Vries fighting for his life after shooting

Dutch crime reporter Peter R. de Vries fighting for his life after shooting

Celebrity Dutch crime reporter Peter R. de Vries, known for his investigative work exposing the criminal underworld, is "fighting for his life" after being shot in the country's capital, police authorities said on Tuesday.

Celebrity Dutch crime reporter Peter R. de Vries, known for his investigative work exposing the criminal underworld, is "fighting for his life" after being shot in the Netherlands' capital.

"He was seriously wounded and is fighting for his life," Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema said in a televised news conference. "He is a national hero to us all. A rare, courageous journalist who tirelessly sought justice."

Dutch police said in a statement Wednesday that two suspects -- a 35-year-old Polish national living in Maurik and a 21-year-old man living in Rotterdam -- are in custody in relation to the shooting. The statement said the two would be arraigned on Friday.

The police statement also said property searches were conducted overnight in Tiel, Maurik and Rotterdam where "various data carriers and ammunition were seized there." Police added that an 18-year-old local resident who was initially arrested has "since been released and is no longer considered a suspect."

Authorities responded to reports of a shooting on Lange Leidsedwarsstraat, a street near popular Leidseplein square on Tuesday evening, where de Vries was found and "immediately rushed to hospital," according to an earlier police statement.

Dutch broadcaster RTL said de Vries had just left its studio in downtown Amsterdam when one of five shots hit him in the head.

Amsterdam's Parool newspaper published an image of the scene with several people gathered around a person lying on the ground.

Peter R. de Vries pictured on November 20, 2020.


Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte condemned the shooting as "shocking and incomprehensible" in a statement given to local media Tuesday evening, Reuters reported.

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."

"We all fervently hope, we pray, that he survives this attack. That's the most important thing now. We are doing everything we can to ensure that justice takes its course," Rutte added.

Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, tweeted that "this is a crime against journalism and an attack on our values of democracy and rule of law" before vowing to "relentlessly continue to defend the freedom of the press."

Responding to the shooting, Tom Gibson, the European Union representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists, urged authorities to take swift action against the culprits.

"Dutch authorities should swiftly and thoroughly investigate the shooting of crime reporter Peter R. de Vries, determine if he was targeted for his work, and ensure that the attacker and the masterminds of the attack face justice," said Gibson.

"Journalists in the EU must be able to investigate crime and corruption without fearing for their safety," he added.

De Vries, 64, is an award-winning crime reporter. In 2008, 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. Meanwhile in the Netherlands, he is perhaps best known for his work reporting on the 1983 abduction of beer magnate Freddy Heineken.

The journalist had received threats from the criminal underworld in the past in connection with several cases.

In 2013 Willem Holleeder, the Heineken kidnapper, was convicted of making threats against de Vries. Holleeder is currently serving a life sentence for his involvement in five murders.

In 2019 Ridouan Taghi, currently on trial for murder and drug trafficking, took the unusual step of making a public statement denying reports that he had threatened to have de Vries killed.

De Vries has been acting as a counselor, but not lawyer, to a state witness identified as Nabil B. testifying in the case against Taghi and his alleged associates.
Nabil B.'s previous lawyer was shot dead on an Amsterdam street in September 2019.

Comments

Oh ya 4 year ago
The big question now is did he know Bill and Hillary

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
×