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Volkert van der Graaf

Volkert van der Graaf
Born (1969-07-09) 9 July 1969 (age 55)
Middelburg, Netherlands
NationalityDutch
OccupationEnvironmental activist
Criminal statusFree after end of parole
Criminal chargeMurder of Pim Fortuyn
Penalty18 years imprisonment (released after serving 12 years)
Details
WeaponStar Firestar M43

Volkert van der Graaf (born 9 July 1969) is a Dutch convicted murderer who assassinated politician Pim Fortuyn, the leader of the Pim Fortuyn List (LPF) party, on 6 May 2002.[1] Van der Graaf shot Fortuyn outside a radio studio in Hilversum shortly after Fortuyn gave an interview during the political campaign for the Dutch general election of 2002. An environmental and animal rights activist,[2][3] Van der Graaf stated at his trial that he killed Fortuyn to stop him from exploiting Muslims as "scapegoats" and targeting "the vulnerable sections of society" in seeking political power.[4][5] Van der Graaf was arrested shortly after shooting Fortuyn, who died immediately.

In court, Van der Graaf testified that he had become alarmed that Fortuyn was using Muslims and immigrants as scapegoats in a campaign to seek political power. He thought the politician endangered society with his controversial statements. His trial started on 27 March 2003. He was convicted on 15 April 2003 and sentenced to 18 years in prison. The trial generated large interest from the Dutch public, especially from supporters of Fortuyn.[2] Some Fortuyn supporters and political commentators argued that the political left and the media had created a climate that had enabled Van der Graaf's actions through demonising Fortuyn.[6][7]

After his conviction, Van der Graaf appealed for the reduction of the sentence to 16 years, but on 18 July 2003, the appeals court upheld the previous sentence. He was released on parole in May 2014 after serving 12 years, two-thirds of his sentence, according to Dutch practice.[8] His parole ultimately expired on 30 April 2020, giving release from the remaining restrictions.[9]

  1. ^ "Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn assassinated". The Guardian. 7 May 2002. Archived from the original on 20 November 2016. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  2. ^ a b "Profile: Fortuyn killer". BBC News. 15 April 2003. Archived from the original on 23 September 2008. Retrieved 27 May 2010.
  3. ^ Marlise Simons, "Dutch Suspect In Slaying Championed Animal Rights", The New York Times, 9 May 2002, Retrieved 20 April 2011
  4. ^ Fortuyn killed 'to protect Muslims' Archived 28 April 2018 at the Wayback Machine, The Daily Telegraph, 28 March 2003:[van der Graaf] said his goal was to stop Mr Fortuyn exploiting Muslims as "scapegoats" and targeting "the weak parts of society to score points" to try to gain political power.
  5. ^ Fortuyn murder case: 'Confession' Archived 27 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine, CNN, 23 November 2002. The prosecutor's statement said van der Graaf had said "he saw in Fortuyn an increasing danger to, in particular, vulnerable sections of society."
  6. ^ Borchert, Jens; Zeiss, Jürgen (2003). The political class in advanced democracies. Oxford University Press. p. 275. ISBN 978-0-19-926036-2.
  7. ^ "Demonstrators gather to protest at assassination". The Irish Times.
  8. ^ "Pim Fortuyn: Politician's Killer Is Freed Early". Sky News. 2 May 2014. Archived from the original on 11 June 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Parole was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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