The Court of The Hague issued its ruling on Monday in the case of two Pakistani individuals who had called on the public to assassinate Dutch politician Geert Wilders. The court handed down its judgment just a week after the Dutch Public Prosecutor’s Office announced plans to prosecute the two Pakistani nationals: a 56-year-old religious leader and a 29-year-old political figure.
The case dates back to 2018, when Wilders, the leader of the far-right Party for Freedom (PVV), proposed a controversial cartoon competition featuring depictions of the Prophet Muhammad. The religious leader was accused of issuing a fatwa and, along with the political figure, repeatedly urged the public to assassinate Wilders.
The religious leader received a 14-year prison sentence under various articles of the Dutch Criminal Code. Convicted of multiple charges, including incitement to murder with terrorist intent, he had previously delivered a speech at an event titled the “Death to Holland Conference,” during which he asserted that the Dutch government “must die” for insulting the Prophet Muhammad.
The second defendant, a political leader of the far-right Islamist Tehreek-e-Labbaik party, was sentenced to four years in prison. While terrorist intent was not established, his speech following the conviction of a Pakistani cricketer advocating for Wilders’ assassination played a significant role in his sentencing.
Both trials proceeded in absentia as the defendants were in Pakistan. Given the absence of an extradition treaty between the Netherlands and Pakistan, it is unlikely the sentences will be served. Nonetheless, Wilders noted during a press conference that the ruling sends a significant international signal that issuing a fatwa against a parliamentarian is unacceptable (source).
This case arrives amid a marked rise in political violence against public figures across Europe. Noteworthy instances include the critical injury of Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico in May and the stabbing of a German AfD party member the same month (source). The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) reports ongoing political violence and extremism involving both far-right and far-left groups throughout the European Union (report).
For further details, see the JURIST article.