AMSTERDAM (Diya TV) — A Dutch court has formally charged two Pakistani nationals on allegations of incitement to murder Geert Wilders, a prominent leader in the Netherlands known for his anti-immigration rhetoric towards Muslims. The court’s statement revealed prosecutors are seeking the extradition of the two suspects, aged 55 and 29, to stand trial in the Netherlands.
According to the Public Prosecution Service, the charges stem from public calls made by the suspects urging their followers to kill Wilders. These calls were reportedly made during meetings and via social media through both video and text messages. The religious leader is accused of promising rewards in the afterlife to those who carry out the act, while the political leader allegedly claimed that it was now the responsibility of Wilders’ followers to execute the task.
The court has scheduled the first hearing for the case on September 2, to be held at a highly-secure courthouse near Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport. However, the Netherlands and Pakistan lack an extradition treaty, raising uncertainties about whether the trial will proceed as planned.
Geert Wilders, in response to the developments, took to social media, expressing his hope for the extradition, conviction, and imprisonment of the two suspects. Wilders, known for his staunch anti-Islam stance, has been under 24-hour state protection since 2004, following numerous death threats.
This legal action comes after a Dutch court sentenced Pakistani cricketer Khalid Latif to 12 years in prison last year for inciting violence against Wilders. Latif’s conviction was related to his public calls urging people to murder Wilders, prompted by the lawmaker’s proposed cartoon contest depicting the Prophet Mohammed.
While Dutch authorities have sought assistance from Pakistan in questioning the suspects and serving summonses for their court appearance, the absence of a mutual legal assistance treaty between the two countries complicates the extradition process. Despite efforts to engage Pakistani authorities, previous requests for legal cooperation during Latif’s trial were left unanswered.
