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world news Diaranson 8 Juni 2022

Dutch prosecutors demand life sentences in reporter slaying

previous underworld mur- would have given it,” Dutch phone found in the car
ders as reasons for demand- broadcaster NOS reported. read: “He’s dead ... everyone
ing life sentences. “Instead, they pulled the trig- screaming. He didn’t move
Judges at Amsterdam Dis- ger.” anymore.”
trict Court reviewed a dos- Lawyers for the suspects are Prosecutors haven’t publicly
sier of evidence prosecutors scheduled to speak at a sepa- identified a suspect they be-
say links the men to the slay- rate hearing next week, Judg- lieve gave the order to kill
ing, including telephone text es are due to deliver verdicts the reporter, who had just
messages and video footage. July 14. appeared on a Dutch current
In the afternoon, De Vr- A judge in Tuesday’s hear- affairs television show.
ies’ son, Royce, and daugh- ing directly asked G. if he De Vries made his name as a
ter Kelly used victim impact shot De Vries, to which the crime journalist who report-
statements to emotionally re- suspect replied: “I make use ed on and wrote a bestselling
call his campaigning journal- of my right to silence,” ac- book about the 1983 kidnap-
ism and the way he managed cording to footage recorded ping of beer magnate Freddy
to combine his work with his by NOS. The other suspect Heineken. Later in his career,
family. said: “I did not kill that man.” he campaigned tirelessly to
By PETER DEJONG violent drugs underworld. “I can still bring myself to Prosecutors say the two sus- resolve cold cases. Before his
Associated Press Prosecutors accuse a 21-year- treat you humanely,” Kelly pects were arrested less than shooting, De Vries had been
AMSTERDAM (AP) — old Dutchman identified de Vries told the suspects. an hour after the shooting in an adviser and confidant for
Prosecutors demanded only as Delano G. of shoot- “Why? Because that’s the way a getaway car on a highway a witness in the trial of the al-
life sentences Tuesday for ing De Vries at close range I was raised. Brought up by near The Hague with the leged leader and other mem-
two men charged in the in a downtown Amsterdam two wonderful parents who weapon used to shoot De Vr- bers of a crime gang that
brazen killing of a popu- street on July 6 last year. The stood up for what was right. ies in the car. police described as an “oiled
lar Dutch investigative campaigning reporter and Even though it was not an Also in the car was a mobile killing machine.” The wit-
reporter last year, as his television personality died easy path; who dared to stand phone, that prosecutors say ness’ brother and his lawyer
children paid tribute to a nine days later of his injuries up for people who had been contained messages allud- both were murdered.
courageous journalist and at age 64. The second suspect wronged.” ing to the killing. One of the
loving father and grandfa- on trial is a Polish national, She called De Vries “My judges in the case read out The suspected gangland
ther. identified as Kamil E., who is dearest father, my buddy, the messages during Tues- leader, Ridouan Taghi, was
the alleged getaway driver. confidant and caring grandfa- day’s hearing. extradited to the Nether-
The slaying of Peter R. de Vr- In a closing statement at their ther for my child.” One exchange included two lands from Dubai, United
ies triggered a national out- trial, prosecutors cited the Royce de Vries told judges: pictures of De Vries and the Arab Emirates, in 2019 and
pouring of grief and govern- “extremely serious” nature of “I’m convinced that if these message: “You have to get is currently standing trial. He
ment pledges to crack down the crime, the suspects’ lack suspects had asked my fa- this dog.” hasn’t been charged in De
on Amsterdam’s increasingly of remorse, and a string of ther for help that evening, he Later, a message from the Vries’ killing.

Thailand urged to let U.N. evaluate refugee status of Rohingya

BANGKOK (AP) — A the Office of the UN High
group of ethnic Rohingya Commissioner for Refu-
left on a Thai island after gees (UNHCR) to conduct
a dangerous boat journey refugee status determination
from Bangladesh should interviews,” the New York-
be given help and the op- based group said in a state-
portunity to determine if ment.
they are refugees, Human “The Thai government
Rights Watch said Tues- should end its policy of sum-
day. marily locking up rescued
The mostly Muslim Rohing- Rohingya boat people and
ya have long been persecut- throwing away the key,” said
ed in Myanmar. More than Elaine Pearson, HRW’s act-
700,000 fled to neighboring ing Asia director. “Thailand
Bangladesh in 2017 to escape should permit the United
a military counterinsurgency Nations refugee agency to
campaign that the U.S. and screen all Rohingya arriving
others have called geno- in Thailand to identify and
cide. Since then, Rohingya assist those seeking refugee
have attempted to leave both status.”
Myanmar and Bangladesh In late May, at least 16 Ro-
on perilous sea journeys to hingya died after a storm cap-
Malaysia, a Muslim-majority sized a boat off Myanmar’s
country relatively lenient to southwestern coast. There
arriving migrants. were 35 survivors.
The voyages are often ar- Thailand are detained by au- the island and said it was Ma- humanitarian assistance, for “The risk of abuse at the
ranged by human trafficking thorities or sent by the traf- laysia,” the navy’s statement people deemed to be immi- hands of smugglers and the
gangs who charge large sums fickers to work in slave-like said. grating illegally. peril of the sea journey itself
for passage on rickety old conditions. The 31 men, 23 women, Human Rights Watch said are both exacerbated during
boats. Those boats that don’t The Thai navy said the 59 three boys and two girls were Thailand was obligated to as- prolonged journeys, when
sink can end up elsewhere Rohingya left an island in the detained after being found sess the people’s claims for a safe harbor for disembar-
in Southeast Asia. Thailand, Andaman Sea had traveled Saturday on the southern is- refugee protection before kation cannot be found,”
especially, tries to turn them from Bangladesh on large land of Koh Dong. The navy trying to return them. the office of the U.N. High
away, usually after supplying fishing boats. “But when said it will continue to follow “To protect Rohingya asylum Commissioner for Refugees
fuel and food. Boat passen- they arrived, the ship’s cap- Thailand’s standard proce- seekers, it is crucial for the said after last month’s sink-
gers who make it ashore in tain brought these people to dures, including providing Thai government to permit ing.