A serious threat against a TV show in the Netherlands has immediate consequences. A well-known journalist was gunned down in front of the studio just a few days ago.
Amsterdam – A few days after the assassination attempt on the Dutch crime reporter Peter R. de Vries, a television program was canceled on Saturday due to threats.
The studio in the center of Amsterdam had been vacated for security reasons, the broadcaster RTL announced. De Vries was gunned down in front of the studio in the street on Tuesday evening and was critically injured after appearing on the live broadcast RTL Boulevard.
A spokesman for the Amsterdam city administration said there had been a serious threat to the broadcast. Justice Minister Ferd Grapperhaus said that “visible and invisible measures” were taken. Details were not given.
Media reports said that De Vries’ condition was still critical. Shortly after the attack, two men were arrested based on eyewitness testimony and camera images. A 21-year-old Rotterdam native is said to be the shooter. A 35-year-old Pole who lives in the village of Maurik in the south-east of the Netherlands is said to have driven the getaway car. The pretrial detention of the two suspects was initially extended by two weeks on Friday.
The police have not yet given any details about the background or motives. Organized crime is widely held responsible for the murder in the Netherlands. De Vries is the witness’s confidante in a large-scale lawsuit against a drug gang. dpa
