BASRİ DOĞAN / Journalist / Holland
Peter R. de Vries, a 64-year-old Emmy-winning Dutch journalist who played a key role in deciphering organized crime organizations, was killed last July. The murder of such a journalist in the heart of Europe is also a warning for other journalists(!) actually.
6th of July, Tuesday evening in the Netherlands capital Amsterdam, 64-year-old Peter R. de Vries, one of the most well-known security and judicial correspondents in the Netherlands and an expert on matters related to criminal organizations, passed away as a result of a gun attack. After the
murder of Peter R. Vries, the whole country was strangled by grief.
A pioneer of both investigative journalism and criminal journalism, de Vies was one of the most famous journalists in the Netherlands. He was seriously injured as a result of a gun attack in Amsterdam in the evening. Peter R. de Viries, who was treated in intensive care for a week, lost his life. Thomas Bruning, Secretary General of the Netherlands Journalists Association, Peter R. describes the attack on de Vries as a stabbing at the heart of journalism. The RTL channel where de Vries worked said in a written statement after their colleagues lost his live: “Peter fought until the end, but he didn’t win this war. He lost his life when he was with the people he loved. Our pain is great.”
THERE’S NO WAY TO KNEEL AND BE FREE
De Viries’ family also said that while Peter had all his loved ones with him, his sun has set and he lived by his faith, saying: “There is no way to kneel down and be free. We are proud of all that he has done, but this is not enough to console us at the moment. His family, wife and loved ones want to commemorate him in peace and we invite everyone to respect this.”
The suspects of the murder were caught in a vehicle on the Amsterdam – Hague highway on the evening of July 6, when the incident occurred. The murderers were 21-year-old Rotterdam resident Gelano D. with 35-year-old Polish citizen Kamil Pawel E. as announced.
AN EMMY AWARD-WINNING JOURNALIST
The 64-year-old journalist, who played an important role in the deciphering of organized criminal organizations, especially in the Netherlands, was known for his courageous reporting on the underworld. Because of this news, he was also under threat from mafia groups.
De Vries had also won an International Emmy Award in the current affairs category in 2008 for his work investigating the disappearance of Natalee Holloway in Aruba in 2005. De Vries, 64, a sought-after commentator on television programs, has always been a journalist with his name mentioned through his criminal investigations in the Netherlands. De Vries had investigated numerous high-profile cases as a journalist, including the kidnapping
of Freddy Heineken in 1983, and received applause for the news. This news made him win the Emmy Award, the most prestigious award in the field of journalism.
Before his murder, Peter R. de Vries, who helped vulnerable people in society, especially illegal immigrants, make their voices heard, was also an ambassador for the “Meet Kate Foundation”, founded by his daughter Kelly to help poor children in Ghana. De Vries, who is married and has one child, did not seek state protection despite the threats.