Netherlands
Court allows hate speech prosecutionPosted Jan 30 2009
Overturning a lower court’s ruling, an Amsterdam appeals court has charged controversial far-right member of the Dutch parliament Geert Wilders with inciting hatred against Muslims and Islam.
“In a democratic system, hate speech is considered so serious that it is in the general interest to… draw a clear line,” the court said. It ruled that Wilders, who leads the Dutch Freedom Party, should be prosecuted because of comments made in various media against Muslims and their beliefs, specifically Wilders’ comments equating Islam with Nazism and the Koran with Hitler’s Mein Kampf.
Last year, Wilders stirred controversy when he released a film entitled “Fitna” or, roughly, “strife,” which juxtaposed scenes of the Sept. 11 attacks, the London bombings and the Madrid bombings against excerpts from the Koran. Wilders has been under constant police protection since the murder of filmmaker Theo Van Gogh in 2004. During that time, the Freedom Party has used its anti-Islamic rhetoric to build its presence in the Dutch lower house, where it now holds nine seats.
More information
- Radio Netherlands