ROTTERDAM, Netherlands, May 15 (UPI) -- More than 35,500 people have signed a petition to prevent the early release of Volkert van der Graaf, the man convicted of killing Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn.
The petition, started by Fortuyn's driver, Hans Smolders, would challenge van der Graaf's early release for good behavior.
Dutch law dictates that a well-behaved prisoner qualifies for early release after serving two thirds of their sentence. Under that guideline, Van der Graaf could be eligible for release by May 2014, Radio Netherlands Worldwide reported.
Van der Graaf was convicted in 2003 of shooting Fortuyn on May 6, 2002, in Hilversum, and was sentenced to 18 years in jail. Van der Graaf admitted to killing the conservative, openly gay politician, because he said Fortuyn targeted Muslims as "scapegoats," The Daily Telegraph reported.
Fortuyn was known for having strong anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant views, but denied that he was racist, The New York Times reported.
