Van der Graaf told the court he believed Fortuyn, 54, had tried to abuse
strong anti-Muslim feelings prevalent after the September 11 terrorist
attacks for his own aggrandisement.
"I got the impression he was looking for a scapegoat he could use to
increase his popularity. That was a great concern to me," he said.
"In my eyes, this was a highly vindictive man who used feelings in society
to boost his personal stature. The ideas he had about refugees,
asylum-seekers, the environment, about animals . . . He was always using or
abusing the weak side of society to get ahead."
The murder happened 10 days before general elections that resulted in an
unprecedented triumph for Fortuyn's party, which won 26 seats and a place
in the coalition Government.
Although the Pim Fortuyn List subsequently fell apart amid internal
bickering � and ended up with just eight seats in the parliamentary
elections last January � the episode had a profound impact on Dutch society.
The son of a biology teacher from Zeeland, in what is known as the Dutch
bible belt, Van der Graaf is an animal rights activist who specialises in
litigation against industrial farming methods. He has a baby daughter with
his long-term girlfriend. When police raided the couple's home after the
assassination, they found chemicals that could be used to make explosives
and bullets similar to those found at the scene of the crime.
Charged with premeditated murder, Van der Graaf faces a maximum 20-year
prison sentence if convicted.
Van der Graaf gave a chilling account of how easily he had entered the
studio grounds where he hid behind bushes for nearly two hours, waiting for
his victim.
As Fortuyn emerged from the studio, "I walked around (Fortuyn) and shot
him," he said.
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