Convicted killer tied to Taghi case gave lectures in prison until reporter's murder: Report

Shurandy S., the man convicted of killing the brother of key witness Nabil B., gave "awareness" lectures to fellow inmates in the Zaanstad Judicial Complex last year. The prison abruptly halted the talks after the murder of Peter R. de Vries, who acted as a confidant to Nabil B., NH Nieuws reports based on internal documents in its possession.

In 2019, S. was sentenced to 28 years in prison for the murder of Reduan B. on 23 March 2018. He was shot dead at his business in Amsterdam just a week after the Public Prosecution Service (OM) announced they flipped his brother, Nabil, into a witness against Ridouan Taghi and the drugs trafficking gang he allegedly leads. Taghi is on trial with several others on allegations he orchestrated multiple murders, attempted killings, and murder-for-hire plots.

The lectures, to "raise awareness," were part of his S.'s rehabilitation, according to NH Nieuws. The aim was "to make fellow inmates aware of their actions and to make them think," the internal documents read. He gave these lectures in an 80 minutes long "working group." S. chose the candidates himself and got help from the prison staff. The documents said the lectures took place in S.'s ward with "the ability to move to an unsupervised area."

S. gave his first lecture on 31 March 2021 and the second on 24 June. Internal sources told NH Nieuws that the attendees were mainly detainees from the Top600 - mostly young criminals from Amsterdam convicted of serious crimes. The idea was that S. could eventually become a coach. 

The lectures were abruptly halted after Peter R. de Vries was gunned down in Amsterdam on 6 July 2021. The newspaper's sources said that this was because of the sensitivity - it could have caused unrest if it was known that the man who killed Nabil B.'s brother was lecturing other prisoners when Nabil B.'s confidant was murdered. 

The Custodial Institutions Service (DJI) told NH Nieuws that it could not answer questions about individual detainees. In general, a spokesperson said that "depending on the behavior shown during the detention period and the capacities someone has," the service assesses which reintegration activities are "realistic, useful, and appropriate" for a prisoner. "If a detainee gains substantial insight into the consequences of the crime committed, he or she may, at his or her own request, discuss this with some fellow detainees."