The court of justice in The Hague convicted today for group insults on the evening of the 2014 municipal elections, but acquitted him of incitement to hatred and discrimination. He is happy with that acquittal.
The PVV leader was not punished by the court, because according to the judges, as a democratically elected politician, he has been paying a high price for his statements for years. Wilders has been permanently guarded for years, because he has been repeatedly threatened with death.
OM very satisfied
The Public Prosecution Service (OM) is “very satisfied” with the verdict. “Because a clear signal has been given that even a politician, under the guise of freedom of expression, cannot say what he wants, that he cannot just put away groups in Dutch society,” said press lawyer general Jan Hoekman on NPO Radio 1 “That was the most important bet for us.”
The OM is also happy that the court has made it clear that there has been no political interference, Hoekman said. “It has looked at all the documents and said: there is no beginning of plausibility that this was a political process. It is a process as it belongs in the Dutch constitutional state.” Hoekman does not expect the OM to appeal.
Six years
The ‘fewer Moroccans’ process has been running for six years. It all started in March 2014 when Wilders asked his supporters at the result of the municipal elections whether they wanted more or fewer Moroccans in the Netherlands. “Less!” They chanted. Wilders then said: “Then we will arrange that”.
Thousands of people reported discrimination. The OM decided in December 2014 to Wilders for this ruling to prosecute.
Role Opstelten
During the trial, RTL Nieuws came out with documents that would show that Minister Opstelten of Justice would have with the Public Prosecution Service talked about the prosecution.
According to Wilders, that was proof of political interference and influence. The court does not agree with this, as it turned out today in the ruling.
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