Statement in response to the attack on crime journalist Peter R de Vries
We are deeply shocked about the attack on crime journalist Peter R de Vries last night in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. We wish him and his family and loved ones strength, and we hope to receive better news from the hospital concerning his health.
Free Press Unlimited condemns and perceives the shooting as an attack on journalim and the Rule of Law. We have grave concerns about the increasing violence against journalists worldwide. We hope and anticipate that the investigation will lead to the conviction of the perpetrators.
This horrible event confirms a worldwide trend, that journalists who work to shed light on abuses through their investigations and in doing so calling perpetrators to justice- are increasingly becoming victims of targeted violence. This trend is also connected to corruption, drug related as well as financial crime, which can only be stopped by joint efforts in these areas.
The protection of the journalistic profession is fundamental for the functioning of an open and critical society in which questions can be asked and answers can be sought, without fear.