Moscow; President of the European Council Charles Michel denounced on Wednesday the shooting attack against Dutch journalist Peter R de Vries as a crime against fundamental European values and peace.
Amsterdam police said late on Tuesday that de Vries was shot minutes after leaving the RTL TV broadcaster studio in the city center, where he had appeared on a chat show. The 64-year-old was hospitalized with grave injuries. Five shots were reportedly fired at the journalist, hitting him in the head.
“A crime has been committed against a journalist. This is a crime against our fundamental values, against peace, and we should condemn it in strong terms and express solidarity with the family and close friends of the victim, as well as with the people of the Netherlands and their government,” Michel told the European Parliament.
The International Federation of Journalists has already expressed concerns over increasing violence against media workers in the Netherlands earlier this year. According to the watchdog, in 2020 alone, more than 100 assaults against journalists were reported to the Dutch platform Persveilig, which offers help to reporters who encounter violence or aggression during work. Sputnik
