Amsterdam Court issues harsher sentences in lawyer Derk Wiersum murder case

The Amsterdam Court of Appeal has issued harsher sentences for six individuals involved in a criminal organization responsible for the 2019 murder of lawyer Derk Wiersum. Wiersum was shot dead near his home in Amsterdam while assisting a crown witness in the Marengo liquidation trial.

The court found that several defendants participated in reconnaissance of Wiersum’s office and home, and provided the vehicles used in the attack. Additionally, five of the convicted individuals were sentenced for an attempted murder in Utrecht in October 2019, where a man was severely assaulted with blunt weapons. While a lower court had previously classified the Utrecht incident as attempted heavy assault, the appeals court reclassified it as attempted murder.

Sentences for the defendants range from 30 months to 11 years and three months. This ruling exceeds the original demands made by the Public Prosecution Service.