The Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders has been found guilty of inciting discrimination against Dutch Moroccans in a verdict that is expected to intensify the debate about migration in the Netherlands.



A panel of three judges ruled that the Freedom party (PVV) leader’s comments in a post-election speech in 2014 were “demeaning and thereby insulting towards the Moroccan population”. Hendrik Steenhuis, chairman of the judges, said the remarks were clearly aimed at an ethnic population group and delivered in a televised speech for maximum effect.

However, the court cleared Wilders of the charge of inciting hatred and imposed no fine or sentence, ruling that a criminal conviction was sufficient punishment for a politician in Wilders’ position.

Neither Wilders nor his lawyer, Geert-Jan Knoops, were in court to hear Friday’s verdict. Immediately afterwards Wilders issued a press release saying he would appeal and describing the court’s decision as “a great loss for democracy and freedom of expression”.

The verdict comes three months before Dutch voters go to the polls in a general election in which Wilders has vowed to put migration and “Islamisation” at the heart of the campaign. His party’s draft manifesto includes pledges to close every mosque in the Netherlands and ban the Qur’an from public buildings.

Latest opinion polls put the PVV in front, on about 24% of the vote. Since the election of Donald Trump in the US, Wilders has pulled ahead of his nearest rival, the Liberals (VVD) led by the prime minister, Mark Rutte.

Rutte has repeatedly said he would not go into government with the PVV unless Wilders withdrew his remarks on Moroccans, and the other main parties have ruled out cooperation. But under the Dutch proportional representation system the leader of the largest party is conventionally given the first shot, and if Wilders has a clear lead it might be impossible to build a coalition without him.

The public prosecution service charged Wilders after police received nearly 6,000 complaints about a speech he gave following local elections in March 2014. After his party had narrowly failed to become the largest group on The Hague’s city council, Wilders asked a roomful of supporters if they wanted to have “more or fewer Moroccans” in the country. When the crowd shouted back “Fewer!”, he replied: “Well, we’ll take care of that.”

Wilders denounced the trial from the outset as politically motivated and an attack on free speech, and initially boycotted the hearings at the high-security court complex in Schiphol.

In a video message posted on his Twitter feed on Friday, he attacked the “shameful sentence” and vowed he would “never be silent”.

“The Netherlands have become a sick country,” he said. “I am not a racist and neither are my voters. This sentence proves that you judges are completely out of touch. Support for the Party for Freedom is stronger than ever and keeps growing every day. The Dutch want their country back.

“Today I was convicted in a political trial which, shortly before the elections, attempts to neutralise the leader of the largest and most popular opposition party. But they will not succeed, not even with this verdict, because I speak on behalf of millions of Dutch.”

It was the second time Wilders had been taken to court over remarks made in the political arena. In 2011 he was acquitted of discriminating against Muslims after describing Islam as a “fascist” religion in various interviews. On that occasion he described the verdict as a “victory for free speech”.

Political commentators have warned that Friday’s outcome could polarise the debate on migration in the Netherlands still further and harden support for Wilders among his core vote. “To these voters this is the ultimate proof of how far we have fallen in the Netherlands,” sociologist Koen Damhuis told the NRC newspaper. “They won’t walk away from Wilders if he’s found guilty. Moreover, PVV voters think he should be given a statue for the stance he has taken.”</s>A Dutch court has convicted populist anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders of hate speech charges at the end of a trial he branded a politically motivated “charade” that endangered freedom of speech.

Wilders said on Friday his conviction for insulting Moroccans and inciting discrimination against them was an attempt to silence him before a national election in March that would fail.

Wilders was convicted over a televised 2014 incident in which he led supporters in chanting that they wanted “Fewer! Fewer! Fewer!“ Moroccans in the Netherlands.

Presiding judge Hendrik Steenhuis said the court would not impose a sentence on Wilders, saying the conviction was punishment enough for a democratically elected politician.

In a videotaped response to the verdict, which he did not attend in person, Wilders said: “I will never be silenced.” He said the ruling was an attempt to “neutralize the leader (himself) of the largest and most popular opposition party in the Netherlands“.

His Party for Freedom is currently narrowly leading a nationwide poll of polls and has risen in popularity during the trial.

Wilders also voiced criticim of the conviction on Twitter, saying: “Three PVV hating judges declare that Moroccans are a race and convict me and half of the Netherlands. Madness.”

Before the hearing, Wilders vowed not to let a conviction muzzle him.

“Whatever the verdict, I will continue to speak the truth about the Moroccan problem, and no judge, politician or terrorist will stop me,” he tweeted.</s>AMSTERDAM (AP) — A Dutch court has convicted populist anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders of hate speech charges at the end of a trial he branded a politically motivated “charade” that endangered freedom of speech.

Presiding Judge Hendrik Steenhuis said Friday the court would not impose a sentence on Wilders, saying that the conviction was punishment enough for a democratically elected lawmaker.

Wilders was not in court for the verdict that came just over three months before national elections. Wilders’ Party for Freedom is currently narrowly leading a nationwide poll of polls and has risen in popularity during the trial.

Even before the hearing, Wilders vowed not to let a conviction muzzle him.

“Whatever the verdict, I will continue to speak the truth about the Moroccan problem, and no judge, politician or terrorist will stop me,” he tweeted shortly before the verdict.</s>AMSTERDAM (JTA) — The incitement conviction of Geert Wilders, a Dutch far-right politician who promised to ensure his country has fewer Moroccans, will strengthen him electorally, the former leader of Dutch Jewry’s watchdog on racism said.

Wilders, who made the promise during a speech in 2014, will gain five extra seats in the upcoming general election in March following his conviction Friday for incitement to discrimination over that pledge, Esther Voet, the editor-in-chief of Holland’s main Jewish weekly, the Nieuw Israelietisch Weekblad, said.

“Fine. Suspect the consequences will be five extra seats,” Voet wrote on Twitter about Wilders. Voet, who until last year headed the Center for Information and Documentation on Israel watchdog, has criticized Wilders frequently and publicly in the past over that remark and others.

Wilders, who had lived for two years in an Israeli moshav in the Jordan Valley in his youth, has called Israel “a place where I feel home” and said it was “close to his heart.” He has also called Israel a “canary in the coalmine” and “the West’s first line of defense against Islam,” including to his many visits to the Jewish state. He has repeatedly said he was arguing for “Judeo-Christian values” which he said are threatened by Islam in the Netherlands and elsewhere.

Supported by some Jews, the Party for Freedom has angered many Dutch Jews with its support for a ban on ritual slaughter and teaming up with other far-right groups, including France’s National Front.

While the court in Schiphol convicted Wilders for inciting discrimination, it acquitted him of the prosecution’s charge that Wilders also incited to hate. The court imposed no punishment, ruling that the conviction was “punishment enough,” the AD daily reported.

Calling his party “the largest opposition movement” in the Netherlands, Wilders in a defiant video message about his conviction vowed to “keep naming the Moroccan problem” and averred that while the sentence attempts to silence him and his followers, it “only makes me stronger.” He has vowed to appeal the sentence. Referring to this point, Voet said an appeal may further boost his party’s performance in the election.

In an IPSOS poll from Dec. 6 conducted among 1,093 respondents, Wilders’ anti-Islam Party for Freedom emerged as the most popular with 29 seats out of 150 in the Dutch parliament’s lower house, the Tweede Kamer. Wilders’ part currently has 15 seats there.

The ruling People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy, or VVD, garnered the equivalent of 27 seats in the same poll. An earlier IPSOS poll from Nov. 24 showed VVD in the lead with 28 seats and Wilders’ party trailing it by two seats. VVD currently has 38 seats in the Tweede Kamer.

Wilders was acquitted in 2011 against hate-incitement charges in connection with a short video in which he inveighed against Islam, a religion he has called “evil and fascist.”</s>But the court found him not guilty of incitement to hatred and handed down no punishment.

Wilders, the leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV), was charged after inciting supporters into a chant calling for fewer Moroccans in the Netherlands in 2014.

According to a court statement, Wilders asked his audience, "Do you want more or less Moroccans in this city and in the Netherlands?"

The court said that Wilders "singled out an entire group of citizens" and that the message "came through loud and clear". It convicted him of insulting a group and incitement to discrimination. But the court found insufficient evidence to find him guilty of incitement to hatred. The court, which could have fined Wilders, decided that verdicts were sufficient punishment and imposed no further penalty. "Three PVV-hating judges just declared Moroccans a race and convicted me, as well as half of the Dutch population," Wilders tweeted shortly after the verdict. Wilders said in a Twitter post ahead of the verdict Friday morning that he will "continue to speak the truth about the Moroccan problem." "No judge, politician or terrorist will stop me," he added. Whatever the verdict, I will continue to speak the truth about the Moroccan problem, and no judge, politician or terrorist will stop me. https://t.co/HqisrmYnqV — Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) December 9, 2016 Wilders has previously called Islamic immigration "an invasion" that will "replace our people" and "erase our culture." Among his other policies, Wilders has called for a referendum on the Netherlands' membership in the European Union, and a full burqa ban. Wilders, 53, came to international attention in 2008 with the provocative online film "Fitna," which juxtaposed the aftermath of terrorist attacks with verses from the Quran.</s>But the court found him not guilty of incitement to hatred and handed down no punishment.

Wilders, the leader of the Party for Freedom (PVV), was charged after inciting supporters into a chant calling for fewer Moroccans in the Netherlands in 2014.

According to a court statement, Wilders asked his audience ,"Do you want more or less Moroccans in this city and in the Netherlands?"

The court said that Wilders "singled out an entire group of citizens" and that the message "came through loud and clear". It convicted him of insulting a group and incitement to discrimination. But the court found insufficient evidence to find him, guilty of incitement to hatred. The court, which could have fined Wilders, decided that verdicts were sufficient punishment and imposed no further penalty. "Three PVV-hating judges just declared Moroccans a race and convicted me, as well as half of the Dutch population," Wilders tweeted shortly after the verdict. Wilders said in a Twitter post ahead of the verdict Friday morning that he will "continue to speak the truth about the Moroccan problem." "No judge, politician or terrorist will stop me," he added. Whatever the verdict, I will continue to speak the truth about the Moroccan problem, and no judge, politician or terrorist will stop me. https://t.co/HqisrmYnqV — Geert Wilders (@geertwilderspvv) December 9, 2016</s>Anti-Islam Dutch politician Geert Wilders was found guilty of incitement to discrimination and insulting a group in a trial in the Netherlands.

Prosecutors had demanded that Mr Wilders – whose right-wing PVV party currently top Dutch polls – face a fine of €5,000 for leading anti-Moroccan chants at a political rally.

Mr Wilders will escape a financial penalty but described the judgement as “madess” on Twitter.

The events took place in 2014, when a group of Mr Wilders’ supporters shouted that they wanted “fewer!” Moroccans in the Netherlands. A grinning Mr Wilders added: “We’re going to take care of that.”

Mr Wilders’ PVV party are forecast to be the Netherlands’ biggest party in Dutch elections in three months time, with a slim lead over the centre-right VVD party of Dutch prime minister Mark Rutte.

The case was the second time that Mr Wilders has been accused of inciting hate speech, after he was found not guilty of similar charges in 2011.

Before the trial, the blond-haired leader had struck a defiant tone. “I will continue to speak the truth regardless, including about the Moroccan problem, and no judge, politician or terrorist will stop me,” said Mr Wilders in an interview with a Dutch newspaper this week.</s>Schiphol (Netherlands) (AFP) - Populist anti-Islam Dutch MP Geert Wilders was found guilty on Friday of discrimination against Moroccans, but acquitted of hate speech in a closely-watched trial ahead of next year's key elections.

But the judges decided not to impose any sentence or fine, and Wilders immediately vowed to appeal against what he said was a bid to "neutralise" him ahead of the March polls.

"I will never be silent. You will not be able to stop me," he vowed in a video message sent swiftly after the verdict was handed down.

Wilders, whose Freedom Party (PVV) is eyeing an upset victory in the March 2017 polls, was charged with two counts arising out of comments he made in 2014 around local elections.

After a three-week trial which Wilders had largely snubbed, the three judges ruled "the inflammatory character of the way in which the statements were made have incited others to discriminate people of Moroccan origin."

But they added there was "insufficient evidence" to rule that his words amounted to incitement to hatred. The judges also dismissed the prosecution's request to impose a 5,000-euro ($5,300) fine.

"In this case, the most important question is whether Wilders has crossed a line. This judgement has answered that question," the judges said in their verdict.

The most recent opinion polls predict the PVV will top the March vote, saying it could seize 34 spots in the 150-seat lower house of Dutch parliament, some 10 ahead of his nearest rival, Prime Minister Mark Rutte's Liberals.

Rather than hurting the controversial lawmaker, who was also acquitted in a 2011 hate speech case, observers say his trial has boosted his popularity among Dutch voters, worried about the influx of immigrants and driven by eurosceptic sentiments.

Amid a string of populist victories in Europe and the November election of Donald Trump as the next US president, the outcome of the Dutch vote will be keenly watched.

The trial had focused in particular on a statement made at a 2014 local government election rally in The Hague, when Wilders asked supporters whether they wanted "fewer or more Moroccans in your city and in the Netherlands".

When the crowd shouted back "Fewer! Fewer!" a smiling Wilders answered: "We're going to organise that."

Prosecutors said they were satisfied with the verdict.

"For us it was important that we set a norm, namely that a politician cannot discriminate against a group based on their origin. This principle and setting the norm was more important than the fine," prosecutor Frans Zonneveld told AFP.

The police had received 6,400 complaints about Wilders's comments.

He "singled out an entire group of citizens without making any distinction," the judges ruled.

But after the judgement, Wilders said in a tweet: "Three PVV-hating judges declare Moroccans to be a race and convict me and half of the Netherlands. Madness."

And in a video message, posted to YouTube, he added: "Today I was convicted in a political trial, which shortly before the elections attempts to neutralise the leader of the largest and most popular opposition party."

Presiding judge Hendrik Steenhuis however had harsh words for the platinum-blond haired Wilders saying his disparaging comments about judges and the judiciary in The Netherlands "are unworthy of an elected politician."

Prime Minister Mark Rutte too would not be drawn, saying only: "The Netherlands is a democratic country with an independent judiciary. Everybody is equal before the law."

The Moroccan community however was "very relieved with the judgement", Moroccan-born Abdou Menebhi, who attended the hearing, told AFP.

"It's a positive and important judgement," said Menebhi, president of the Amsterdam-based Euro Mediterranean Centre for Migration and Development, which represents Moroccan interests in the country.

If elected as the country's new prime minister, Wilders has among other things vowed to confiscate Korans, close mosques and Islamic schools, shut Dutch borders and ban migrants from Islamic countries.

His views have seen him receive death threats including from terror groups such as the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda. He is guarded at all times and called the "best protected man in The Netherlands".</s>Populist anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders was found guilty yesterday of insulting and inciting discrimination against Moroccans, a conviction he immediately slammed as a “shameful” attack on free speech and an attempt to “neutralise” him.

Presiding Judge Hendrik Steenhuis said the court would not impose a sentence because the conviction was punishment enough for a democratically elected politician.

Wilders was not in court for the verdict, which came just over three months before national elections. His Party for Freedom is narrowly leading a nationwide poll of polls and has risen in popularity during the trial.

Wilders quickly released a video message, in English and Dutch, slamming the judgment and vowing to appeal.

“Today, I was convicted in a political trial which, shortly before the elections, attempts to neutralise the leader of the largest and most popular opposition party,” Wilders said. “They will not succeed.”

Even before the hearing, Wilders had vowed not to be silenced.

“Whatever the verdict, I will continue to speak the truth about the Moroccan problem, and no judge, politician or terrorist will stop me,” he tweeted.

The politically charged prosecution centred on comments Wilders made before and after the Dutch municipal elections in 2014. At one meeting in a café in The Hague, he asked supporters whether they wanted more or fewer Moroccans in the Netherlands. That sparked a chant of “Fewer! Fewer! Fewer!” – to which he replied: “We’ll take care of it.”

Prosecutors say that Wilders – who in 2011 was acquitted at another hate speech trial for his outspoken criticism of Islam – overstepped the limits of free speech by ­specifically targeting Moroccans.

He had denied the charges and insisted he was ­performing his duty as a political leader by pointing out a problem in society.

Judge Steenhuis said: “Freedom of speech is one of the foundations of our democratic society.” But he added: “Freedom of speech can be limited, for example to protect the rights and freedoms of others, and that is what this case is about.”

Abdou Menebhi, president of the Euro-Mediterranean Centre for Migration and Development, welcomed the judgment.

He said: “For us, it’s a very important verdict.

“This gives the Moroccans who felt like victims a renewed belief in a democratic society.”</s>A Dutch court found lawmaker Geert Wilders guilty of hate speech before and after the 2014 civic polls during which he queried his supporters whether they wanted more or fewer Moroccans in the Netherlands. That sparked a chant of “Fewer! Fewer! Fewer!” to which he replied, “we’ll take care of it.” | Photo Credit: AP

A Dutch court convicted populist anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders of hate speech Friday at the end of a trial that he branded a politically motivated “charade” that endangered freedom of speech.

Presiding Judge Hendrik Steenhuis said the court would not impose a sentence because the conviction was punishment enough for a democratically elected lawmaker. Prosecutors had asked judges to fine him 5,000 euros ($5,300).

In a tweet, Mr. Wilders called the verdicts “madness” and said that he had been convicted by three judges who hated his Party for Freedom.

Mr. Wilders was not in court for the verdict that came just over three months before national elections. His party is currently narrowly leading a nationwide poll of polls and has risen in popularity during the trial.

Even before the hearing, Mr. Wilders vowed not to let a conviction muzzle him.

“Whatever the verdict, I will continue to speak the truth about the Moroccan problem, and no judge, politician or terrorist will stop me,” he tweeted shortly before the verdict.

Before declaring Mr. Wilders guilty, Mr. Steenhuis stressed that freedom of speech was not on trial as the former had claimed during the case.

“Freedom of speech is one of the foundations of our democratic society,” the judge said. But he added, “Freedom of speech can be limited, for example to protect the rights and freedoms of others, and that is what this case is about.”

The politically charged prosecution centered on comments Mr. Wilders made before and after the Dutch municipal elections in 2014. At one meeting in a Hague cafe, he asked supporters whether they wanted more or fewer Moroccans in the Netherlands. That sparked a chant of “Fewer! Fewer! Fewer!” to which he replied, “we’ll take care of it.”

Prosecutors say that Mr. Wilders, who in 2011 was acquitted at another hate speech trial for his outspoken criticism of Islam, overstepped the limits of free speech by specifically targeting Moroccans.

On Friday, he was convicted for the interaction with the crowd of supporters in the Hague cafe, which judges said was carefully orchestrated and broadcast on national television. He was acquitted for similar comments he made in a radio interview a week earlier.
Dutch populist politician Geert Wilders is convicted for hate speech.