Judge in Fortuyn Murder Case Gets Death Threat

A Dutch judge has received a death threat for failing to hand down a life jail sentence to the killer of anti-immigration politician Pim Fortuyn, an official said on Saturday. Fortuyn sympathizers have criticized the 18-year jail term imposed on animal rights activist Volkert van der Graaf, and prosecutors have appealed against the sentence. A spokeswoman for the Amsterdam prosecutor said the letter contained bullets, and the threats were directed against presiding judge Frans Bauduin and prosecutor Koos Plooy. “You can call it a violent threat, that can include everything,” spokeswoman Dap Kruimel said, adding that an investigation had been launched. Van der Graaf said he committed the murder because he believed the populist politician was a threat to democracy. Fortuyn, 54, a homosexual who had called for an immigration freeze and criticized Islam, was gunned down in May 2002, shortly before elections that swept his party into government. Van der Graaf, a 33-year-old vegan environmental campaigner, accused Fortuyn of making scapegoats of vulnerable groups. Full Story