Dutch crime journalist wounded in Amsterdam shooting

A prominent Dutch crime journalist has been seriously wounded after being shot on a street in Amsterdam. Police said Peter R de Vries was taken to hospital in a serious condition after being gunned down in the city centre on Tuesday evening.

National broadcaster NOS said he was attacked minutes after appearing on a TV chat show.

Video showed him lying on the ground with an apparent wound to the head. NOS cited eyewitnesses as saying five shots were fired at close range and Mr de Vries was hit in the head.

'Heartless attack'

In the past Mr de Vries has been given police protection after receiving threats for his involvement in criminal cases as an investigative journalist and in court.

The mayor of Amsterdam Femke Halsema said he was "fighting for his life" and condemned his shooting as a "cruel, heartless attack".

Police said three people have been arrested in connection with the shooting, which happened at around 19:30 local time (18:30 BST).

Two suspects were arrested in a car on the A4 motorway at Leidschendam, and a third in Amsterdam, with the gunman believed to be among them.

Police are appealing for witnesses and CCTV footage of the shooting, but asking people not to share the material on social media. They asked the public not to approach a suspect they described as a light-skinned man with a slender build, a dark green camouflage jacket and a black cap.

'Hope and pray'

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte gave a news conference after meeting with counter-terrorism officials and police in The Hague. In it Mr Rutte said "free journalism is crucial for society" and acknowledged the anger and devastation witnessed in response to the attack.

"Our thoughts are with Peter R de Vries' loved ones. The most important thing, we hope and pray he survives," he said.

Justice minister Ferd Grapperhaus paid tribute to an "extraordinary journalist", calling Mr de Vries an "admirable warrior against injustice for the underdog".

A frequent commentator on TV programmes, Mr de Vries, 64, is well known for his crime investigations in the Netherlands.

He is best known as an investigative journalist, credited with solving a plethora of cold cases.