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DEFIANT DUTCH ANTI-Islam politician Geert Wilders said he will refuse to attend his hate speech trial next week, dubbing it a travesty aimed at silencing him.
The trial opens on Monday before a three-judge bench with the far-right politician facing charges of insulting a racial group and inciting racial hatred for comments he made about Moroccans living in the Netherlands.
“It is my right and my duty as a politician to speak about the problems in our country,” Wilders said in a statement , dubbing the case “a political trial, in which I refuse to cooperate”.
It comes as opinion polls have shown his far-right Freedom Party (PVV) doing well ahead of March elections.
After riding high amid the migrant crisis, the party is now polling neck-and-neck with Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s Liberals each predicted to win between 25 to 29 seats in the 150-seat parliament.
Set to last until 25 November , the trial focuses on a comment made at a March 2014 rally when Wilders asked supporters if they wanted “fewer or more Moroccans in your city and in the Netherlands?”
When the crowd shouted back “Fewer! Fewer!” Wilders answered: “We’re going to organise that.”
It is the second such trial for the politician who was acquitted on similar charges in 2011.
Wilders said this afternoon he would leave his defence in the hands of his lawyer Geert-Jan Knoops and instead “go to work” in the parliament in The Hague.
The court confirmed in a statement that the trial would go ahead, adding like any defendant, Wilders had the right not to appear.
While the court can force someone to turn up, “it is not known whether it will do so in this case,” it added.
Judges earlier this month dismissed arguments by Wilders’ lawyers that the trial was “politically motivated” adding they did not believe it will impact the PVV’s election campaign.
Politicians “are granted broad freedoms of expression because of their official position,” the judges ruled last month.
“Precisely therefore politicians have an important role to avoid feeding intolerance by making these kind of public statements.”
Wilders hit back saying “it is a travesty that I have to stand trial because I spoke about fewer Moroccans.”
“Millions of Dutch citizens want fewer Moroccans,” he claimed.
“Not because they despise all Moroccans or want all Moroccans out of the country, but because they are sick and tired of the nuisance and terror caused by so many Moroccans.”
Wilders drew flak when he unveiled his party’s controversial election programme saying he would confiscate Korans and close mosques if he wins the elections.
He is often described as “the most heavily guarded man” in The Netherlands and the trial is taking place in a high-security courthouse in Schiphol.
His name has “appeared on hit-lists drawn up by Al-Qaeda, the Taliban and the Islamic State group”, according to his lawyer.
If found guilty, Wilders could face up to two years in jail or a fine of more than 20,000 euros ($22,000).
There is rapid testing on arrival in many European countries, I wonder why it’s not available here? There must be a political reason why the government isn’t even talking about its adoption. Any ideas?
@Giovanni Giusti: lack of willingness to spend the money. Lack of sufficient tests levels as it is. Lack of imagination when it comes to other testing methods.
@Aidan O’ Neill: Our public health experts don’t like antigen testing according to the Taoiseach
It will take time? Why is that? Why does everything have to take an eternity and why should we be dependent on the U.K. ‘s acceptance ? I couldn’t care less what the U.K. do or not.
@Isabel Oliveira: you should Isabel. They generate massive income into this country through trade, tourism and diaspora travel. You don’t have to like but you need to understand the economics.
@Gary Sheahan: the uk will shortly be outside the EU, we will not. We need to adopt this system regardless of their stance. Our hospitality sector depends significantly on US visitors as well. They won’t be party to any EU system, so why should the UK be treated any different. Ryan needs to get the finger out and align us to EU system ASAP.
@Hugh Corcoran: The UK left the EU in January.
@Hugh Corcoran: our open border with the UK could force countries to treat us as one block so we would be on the red list everywhere!
@Isabel Oliveira: could it be that if the UK remain outside the system yet we still want to facilitate travel there, the Irish rating would not be allowable under EU system as UK travel should affect our rating due to UK potential rating?
It changes so often I wouldn’t be booking anything
Get it done NOW – time is not on our side – ACTION
They can still implement the first half (i.e. using the criteria for red and amber countries) from next week onwards while waiting to get testing in place.
@Dr Pablo Rojas Coppari: they won’t do that for one simple reason. The UK would be admitted. Other politics in place that are bordering on xenophobic
The bicycle man won’t accept it, he just doesn’t want people flying or traveling by car.
You know what would rid us of this virus? If every single one of us took some personal responsibility and just limited their contacts to 3 or 4 people outside of their own household for 4 weeks. It would be almost gone or at least down to extremely low levels of infection. Business and livelihoods would be saved, but oh no, people are far to fhckin selfish for that to happen.
I like the idea of rapid testing but of course what false positives would come through…which could block business or personal travel plans and no refunds would be available. I am glad I am not the one having to make these decisions!
@Seeking Truth: fast testing means a lot fewer cycles, so false positives are less likely. It’s irrelevant for us anyway as this government seems determined to keep us locked up and locked in
Airlines need to put in place a refund package for those who might test positive a few hours before their flights. If the don’t government must force them to by law.
@M Bowe: isn’t that what travel insurance is for?
@Kieran Frost: not covered under current policies
What’s the point in having orange?
@Bramer: it gives you an indication that countries may turn red. Which has implications for medium-term travel planning.
My job still wants me to take two weeks off to isolate if I go abroad. So none of these means anything.
If we are going to have another lockdown it should be done across europe at the same time. Then travel within Europe should be allowed. It could break the circuit on the continent also and maybe save the aviation industry
have your say