Off the wire
• Beijing raises air pollution alert  • Vietnam's HCM City to build cheap houses for workers  • Commentary: BRICS of gold glitters amid grudges  • Feature: India's coastal state of Goa gearing up for BRICS summit  • Urgent: Egypt's military forces kill 15 terrorists after attack on security checkpoint  • 1st LD: China, Bangladesh lift ties to strategic partnership of cooperation  • Lawmaker calls for postponement of FM network shutdown in Norway  • Apple Inc. CEO confirms construction of new facility near Tokyo, describes Japan as "important" to Apple  • FLASH: EGYPT'S MILITARY FORCES KILL 15 TERRORISTS AFTER ATTACK ON SECURITY CHECKPOINT: ARMY STATEMENT  • King Bhumibol takes final journey to Grand Palace, grieving Thais seeing him off  
You are here: 　 Home

Dutch court rejects request to drop case against far-right politician

Xinhua, October 14, 2016 Adjust font size:

A Dutch court on Friday upheld the case against right-wing populist politician Geert Wilders, rejecting his lawyer's argument that a judge should not evaluate Wilders' political statements that called for "fewer Moroccans" in the Netherlands.

Wilders' lawyer said Wilders' statements should be judged by public opinion and the electorate. However, the judge decided that only the court could determine whether Wilders was guilty or not.

The judge decided that the prosecution against Wilders does not affect his political freedom or that of his party.

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

At a meeting after the elections on March 19, Wilders asked his supporters whether they wanted "more or fewer" Moroccans, to which the crowd cheered "fewer, fewer."

Wilders response to the crowd was: "Good, we're going to arrange that."

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.

During the pre-trial phase in September, Wilders' lawyer asked the court to drop the case, calling it a "political case" ahead of elections due in March.

After the court's decision, Wilders immediately commented on Twitter that he was being "prosecuted for voicing the opinion of millions." He added, "The Netherlands is like Turkey. Displeasing political opinions are being silenced in court."

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