The Advocate General has advised the Supreme Court to uphold the conviction and the life sentence imposed in the case against Willem Holleeder. On the website of the Supreme Court it can be read that the Advocate General agrees with the ruling of the Amsterdam Court of Appeal. Holleeder was convicted of ordering liquidations, attempted murder, serious assault and participation in a criminal organization.
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Holleeder appealed against this ruling, which means his case will be heard by the highest court in the Netherlands, the Supreme Court. According to the Supreme Court, his lawyer is of the opinion, among other things, that the statements of the key witnesses, the suspect’s sisters and the suspect’s ex-girlfriend are not reliable. She also believes that the agreements with the key witnesses are not lawful and she does not agree with the punishment imposed for these offenses. The Advocate General does not agree with any of the complaints.
A ruling by the Supreme Court may be preceded by an opinion from an independent lawyer, the Advocate General. The judges are not obliged to follow this advice, although in practice this usually happens – or to some extent. The Supreme Court’s ruling is scheduled for January 9, 2024.
According to the Amsterdam court, Holleeder “provoked” intermediaries to commit five murder attempts, which resulted in six fatalities. This concerns the murder of Cor van Hout (2003) and the manslaughter of Robert ter Haak (2003), Wim Endstra (2004), Kees Houtman (2005), John Mieremet (2005) and Thomas van der Bijl (2006). The judges imposed a life sentence as a deterrent and as retribution for the surviving relatives.