THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — A judge has ruled that the man who murdered populist Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn no longer has to report to parole authorities, freeing him to emigrate.

Volkert van der Graaf was convicted of murder for gunning down Fortuyn on May 6, 2002, and sentenced to 18 years in prison. He was released in 2014 after serving two-thirds of his sentence but ordered to report every six weeks to a parole officer.

Tuesday's written ruling says that the reporting order is no longer justified. Van der Graaf, an animal rights activist, applied to have the reporting order removed, saying he wanted to move overseas.

Fortuyn, an outspoken academic, shook up the Netherlands with his anti-immigrant rhetoric. He was hated by many on the left but popular among blue-collar Dutch.