WILLEMSTAD, THE HAGUE - The Dutch Public Prosecution Service has once again demanded life imprisonment in the appeal case against three suspects accused of the murder of journalist Peter R. de Vries in 2021. Among them is 26-year-old Aruban national Delano Geerman, who, along with two others, faces the most serious charges. In total, nine men are on trial for their involvement in the killing.

According to prosecutors, Geerman accepted the assignment to carry out the murder only a few hours before the attack. He fired five shots at De Vries in Amsterdam, fatally wounding the renowned crime journalist. Police arrested Geerman and a getaway driver 45 minutes after the shooting on a nearby highway.

Last year, the court sentenced Geerman and two other main suspects to up to 28 years in prison, but the prosecution is now seeking life sentences in appeal. The court of appeal is expected to deliver its verdict in mid-December.

Two Criminal Groups Involved

Investigators believe De Vries was tracked and observed by several of the suspects prior to the attack. They were allegedly part of two loosely connected criminal groups — one of Polish origin and another with Curaçaoan links.

The prosecution accuses the so-called “Curaçao group” of filming the dying journalist moments after the shooting and distributing the footage online. For their role, prosecutors have demanded prison sentences ranging from three to seventeen years.

The murder of Peter R. de Vries — one of the Netherlands’ most respected journalists — shocked the nation and continues to resonate as a brutal assault on press freedom and the rule of law.