London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Jul 04, 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
DJI Launches Heavy-Duty Coaxial Quadcopter with 80 kg Lift Capacity
U.S. Senate Approves Major Legislation Dubbed the 'Big Beautiful Bill'
Largest Healthcare Fraud Takedown in U.S. History Announced by DOJ
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Political Dispute Escalates Between Trump and Musk
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
US Senate Votes to Remove AI Regulation Moratorium from Domestic Policy Bill
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
Jury Deliberations in Diddy Trial Yield Partial Verdict in Serious Criminal Charges
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
King Charles Plans Significant Role for Prince Harry in Coronation
Two Chinese Nationals Arrested for Espionage Activities Against U.S. Navy
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
×