Amsterdam court grants release to key witness in Ridouan Taghi assassinations trial

An Amsterdam appeals court on Tuesday granted conditional release to Nabil B., the key witness whose statement led to the life imprisonment of criminal kingpin Ridouan Taghi, ruling he could be freed “as of today” provided he remains available to testify in the ongoing proceedings.

B., arrested in Amsterdam in January 2017, turned state witness in 2018 after striking a deal with prosecutors to testify against Ridouan Taghi and his organization in exchange for a reduced sentence. He was required to serve eight years in prison, which he has now completed. His testimony was central to the convictions of Taghi and several associates, who received life sentences.

B.’s lawyer, Peter Schouten, said his client was “very satisfied and, of course, happy” with the ruling. He called the court’s decision a milestone: “Crown witnesses now know that they can count on the agreements made with them by the Public Prosecution Service.”

Earlier requests for his release, submitted by both prosecutors and the defense, had been rejected. “The court weighed the personal circumstances I presented differently this time,” Schouten said.

B. has lived under heavy protection since he became a state witness. The risks surrounding him have been severe: his brother Reduan was gunned down in Amsterdam six days after authorities announced the witness deal in March 2018, his lawyer Derk Wiersum was shot outside his Amsterdam home in September 2019, and his confidant, crime reporter Peter R. de Vries, was assassinated in Amsterdam city center in July 2021.

The Dutch Safety Board (OVV) later concluded that authorities failed across the board in protecting those around B., citing persistent prioritization of investigative interests over safety, poor coordination between agencies, and almost nonexistent communication with B.’s loved ones.

With B.’s release, concerns over his family’s security have resurfaced. Sources involved told Parool last month that serious protective measures for his loved ones were still not in place.

Schouten declined to disclose where B. will go after his release but stressed that "all measures are in place, and this will mean that he will disappear."