Mrs.Lucysnow
Valued Senior Member
Geert Wilders, a right-wing Dutch MP, has appeared in an Amsterdam court on charges of inciting hatred against Muslims.
The Freedom Party leader is standing trial after a court overruled a decision by the public prosecutor, who had argued Wilders was protected by the right to free speech.
He told the court on Wednesday that the trial showed that the right to freedom of speech was at risk in The Netherlands.
"I believe in my heart and soul that freedom in the Netherlands is being threatened," Wilders said.
"It is not only our right, but our obligation as free people to speak out against every ideology that restricts freedom."
Defence lawyers have argued that the court does not have the constitutional right to put the MP on trial, but the prosecutor said Wilders' remarks must be tested against the "existing legal framework".
If convicted, Wilders would face a maximum sentence of 15 months in jail.
Wilders supporters staged demonstrations outside the court, holding banners saying "Freedom Yes" and "Stop the Islamisation of Europe".
An anti-racism group has also responded to the trial by placing 100 comments from Wilders online to back up its allegations that the MP is guilty of inciting immigrant hate and discrimination.
Wilders has become one of the Netherland's leading politicians, with his party emerging last year as the country's second-largest party in the European Parliament.
Recent polls have also indicated the Freedom Party stands a chance to become the largest in the Dutch Parliament in national elections due in May 2011.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2010/01/201012094532873241.html
If convicted won't this strengthen the nationalist movement which has already taken hold of the country and prove his point which is that they have indeed lost their freedom of speech?
Does anyone think he should be jailed for his documentary Fitna?
I always looked at Fitna as a bad documentary, quite simply the points he made wrongly frame extremism as Islam but a badly made documentary isn't a crime.
The Freedom Party leader is standing trial after a court overruled a decision by the public prosecutor, who had argued Wilders was protected by the right to free speech.
He told the court on Wednesday that the trial showed that the right to freedom of speech was at risk in The Netherlands.
"I believe in my heart and soul that freedom in the Netherlands is being threatened," Wilders said.
"It is not only our right, but our obligation as free people to speak out against every ideology that restricts freedom."
Defence lawyers have argued that the court does not have the constitutional right to put the MP on trial, but the prosecutor said Wilders' remarks must be tested against the "existing legal framework".
If convicted, Wilders would face a maximum sentence of 15 months in jail.
Wilders supporters staged demonstrations outside the court, holding banners saying "Freedom Yes" and "Stop the Islamisation of Europe".
An anti-racism group has also responded to the trial by placing 100 comments from Wilders online to back up its allegations that the MP is guilty of inciting immigrant hate and discrimination.
Wilders has become one of the Netherland's leading politicians, with his party emerging last year as the country's second-largest party in the European Parliament.
Recent polls have also indicated the Freedom Party stands a chance to become the largest in the Dutch Parliament in national elections due in May 2011.
http://english.aljazeera.net/news/europe/2010/01/201012094532873241.html
If convicted won't this strengthen the nationalist movement which has already taken hold of the country and prove his point which is that they have indeed lost their freedom of speech?
Does anyone think he should be jailed for his documentary Fitna?
I always looked at Fitna as a bad documentary, quite simply the points he made wrongly frame extremism as Islam but a badly made documentary isn't a crime.