Appeal Heard for Politician’s Killer
At a hearing to determine whether his 18-year sentence should be reduced, the killer of Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn said he “hadn’t decided” if the slaying was justified.
Volkert van der Graaf, an animal rights activist, shot Fortuyn dead in May 2002, throwing Dutch elections into chaos. He appealed his sentence, arguing that 12 to 16 years is the usual punishment for a murder.
Fortuyn shook up the nation by blaming rising crime on Moroccan and Turkish minorities. He also promised to legalize the breeding of animals for fur. Van der Graaf admitted to a judge that the pledge was a factor in the slaying.
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