Dutch Prosecution and the Return of the Far Right

Dutch prosecutors have announced that they are seeking a 12-year prison sentence for a Pakistani man who is being tried in absentia for inciting the murder of far-right leader Geert Wilders in 2018. The 37-year-old suspect, identified in court as former cricketer Khalid Latif, faces charges of incitement to murder, incitement to commit criminal acts, and making threats of violence against Wilders. Latif, who lives in Pakistan, did not attend the hearing. Prosecutors stated that Latif posted a video in 2018 offering a reward of three million rupees (about 21,000 euros at the time) for anyone who kills Wilders. This video followed Wilders’ announcement of his intention to hold a cartoon contest depicting the Prophet Muhammad, which was later canceled. Depicting prophets is considered highly offensive and unacceptable in Islam. Reuters was unable to reach Latif for comment. Wilders (59) is one of the prominent far-right leaders in Europe and a key figure in the immigration debate in the Netherlands over the past decade, although he has never been a member of the government. Wilders' Freedom Party is the third-largest party in the Dutch parliament and the main opposition party. Wilders has lived under police protection since 2004. The prosecution noted that there are no existing agreements between the Netherlands and Pakistan regarding judicial cooperation or extradition, and previous requests for cooperation in this case have gone unanswered.