Holland's dhimmified court system
are still out to get him:
AMSTERDAM — Dutch anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders appealed for freedom of expression Monday as he went on trial for alleged hate speech at a time when his popularity and influence in the Netherlands are near all-time highs.
Prosecutors say Wilders has incited hate against Muslims, pointing to a litany of quotes and remarks he has made in recent years. In one opinion piece he wrote "I've had enough of Islam in the Netherlands; let not one more Muslim immigrate," adding "I've had enough of the Quran in the Netherlands: Forbid that fascist book."
Wilders argues he has a right to freedom of speech and that his remarks were within the bounds of the law.
"I am a suspect here because I have expressed my opinion as a representative of the people," Wilders told judges at the start of the trial.
"Formally I'm on trial here today, but with me, the freedom of expression of many, many Dutch people is also being judged," he said, referring to more than 1.4 million voters who made his party the country's third-largest in June elections.
If convicted he could face up to a year in jail, though a fine would be more likely. He could keep his seat in parliament regardless of the outcome.
Whether Wilders could keep his seat in parliament, this is a very serious test for free speech against Islamofascism and jihadism in the Netherlands.
The trial was adjourned until Tuesday shortly after Wilders' opening remarks, when he declined to answer any questions from the three judges, invoking his right to remain silent.
Presiding judge Jan Moors said Wilders is known for making bold statements but avoiding discussions, and added that "it appears you're doing so again."
Wilders' lawyer, Bram Moszkowicz, said the remark showed Moors is biased against Wilders and moved to have him substituted. The move delayed the trial for at least a day as a separate panel considers the request.
The move to delay comes at a delicate moment in Dutch politics, when Wilders is close to seeing many of his policy goals realized.
Wilders' Freedom Party has agreed to support a new right-wing Dutch government set to take power with a tiny majority in parliament this month. The deal is not certain because several conservative lawmakers are hesitant to work with Wilders.
In return for Wilders' support, his political allies have promised to turn away more asylum-seekers and cut immigration from nonwestern countries in half.
They also plan to force new immigrants to pay for their own mandatory citizenship classes.
Those are some good ideas, I fully agree. It can serve as a lesson that even immigrants have to prove their worth by showing that not only can they actually work (to say nothing of uphold the law while in a workplace), but that they're willing to pay for tuitions.
1 comment:
If/when he is convicted there is very likely to be a followon criminal indictment in order to have his party declared a "criminal organisation" which would outlaw it and make membership a crime.
Were that to succeed (getting the inevitable guilty verdict there reversed could take years) he and all his PMs would loose their seats in parliament and might face criminal charges again for being members in a criminal organisation (simply being a member in a group termed such is a crime).
The end goal is to remove a competitor to the political elite in a way that's more final and effective than merely murdering the head of the organisation (as happened with Pim Fortuyn, his party survived for several more years albeit in a much weakened form).
Chicago politics, European style.
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