Trial of Dutch anti-Islam politician Wilders starts

The pre-trial phase of the trial of Dutch right wing populist politician Geert Wilders over his suspected insulting of a group of people based on race and incitement to discrimination and hatred started on Friday.

Part of the pleadings and the strategy of Wilders' lawyer Geert-Jan Knoops were leaked to Dutch newspaper Algemeen Dagblad on Friday morning, which caused a chaotic beginning of the day.

"What a huge mess," Wilders reacted before entering the courtroom at a high-security court at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport . "This trial is already a farce."

During the first public pre-trial phase session Koops asked the court to stop the preparations until an investigation into the leaking has been finished. The lawyer was "shocked" by the leaking and wondered if more of his documents will go public. "We cannot prepare our defense well now," he said.

Around the airport the Dutch military police arrested six people who were on their way to the high-security court at Schiphol. The six, divided into three vehicles, were on their way to demonstrate prior to the trial of Geert Wilders. The plans and the attitudes of the six towards Geert Wilders are yet unclear.

At Schiphol Airport a limited amount of people of anti-Islam movement Pegida demonstrated against the trial of the PVV (Part of Freedom) leader.

Wilders is suspected of having insulted the Moroccan population group in the Netherlands on March 12 and 19, 2014 in The Hague. The leader of the PVV has always made anti-Islam remarks, but during the Dutch municipal elections campaign on March 12 he specifically pointed finger at people of Moroccan descent.

At a meeting after the elections on March 19 Wilders asked his fans three questions. Whether they wanted "more or fewer" of the European Union, "more or fewer" of PvdA (Labor) and finally "more or fewer" of Moroccans, with the attendees cheering "fewer, fewer" to all the questions.

"Good, we're going to arrange that," Wilders concluded after receiving the answer to the final question.

Based on the remarks and the reports received by the police, the prosecution conducted extensive legal analysis, which resulted in the conclusion that the remarks constitute the suspicion of a criminal offence. According to the public prosecutor freedom of expression is limited by the prohibition of discrimination.

"No one will silence me," Wilders stated ahead of Friday's session. "No terrorist, no prime-minister and no court."

During the first court session Koops also advocated that Wilders should not be silenced. "His work is now being attacked from two sides," he said. "Through the criminal prosecution and through (the alleged) physical threats."

It is not the first time Wilders has to appear in court. In June 2011 he was acquitted of inciting hatred and discrimination against Muslims, Moroccans and non-Western immigrants.

The politician is convinced he will be acquitted again. Endit