Dutch judges find Geert Wilders guilty of hate crime

Dutch judges have found the far-right leader of the Freedom Party (PVV), Geert Wilders, guilty of racial discrimination against people of Moroccan origin in the Netherlands, but levied no punishment against him.

Judge Hendrik Steenhuis, who presided the three-judge panel ruling on the case, said on Friday, "No one is above the law."

No one, not even a politician, is allowed to "cross the line" without facing the legal repercussions of their transgression, Steenhuis said. "A crime cannot be protected by the right to free speech."

The judge also said, "If a politician crosses the line, that doesn't mean free speech is being restricted."

Wilder had planned the inflammatory remarks beforehand and insulted the entire group of people of Moroccan origin in the Netherlands, he said.

The judges found Wilders guilty of discrimination against Moroccans, but cited no prison sentence or fine in the ruling, saying the conviction itself was the punishment.

The lawsuit against the outspoken anti-Muslim lawmaker stemmed from a 2014 campaign rally, when he led a group of supporters to chant that they wanted "Fewer! Fewer! Fewer!" Moroccans living in the Netherlands. A smiling Wilders replied to the chanting crowd by pledging to "take care of that."

Moroccan-Dutch people make up two percent of the Netherlands' population.

Moroccan-Dutch organizations said the court ruling was a positive development because it clarified the scope of free speech in the country.

"This ruling protects minorities in our country from the racist poison that is seeping into our society," said anti-discrimination platform NBK, which had filed a failed lawsuit against the notorious 53-year-old anti-Muslim lawmaker in the past.

Wilders, who was not in court on Friday and has lived under 24-hour protection for a decade, said in a videotaped response to the verdict that the panel’s ruling, which carries no jail sentence or fine, was "totally insane," and he would appeal.

The ruling, which bears no lawful penalty, is a threatening attempt to "neutralize the leader of the largest and most popular opposition party in the Netherlands," Wilders said.

The populist leader, who is impatiently awaiting general elections just three months away, said he would not give in to such pressure.

"I will never be silenced," Wilders said.

Wilders said the hate speech cases filed against him were abortive attempts to strip him of what he described as his right to free speech.

This is the second time Wilders is being tried under Dutch hate speech laws for inciting racial hatred.

He was exonerated of all charges by the previous court.

The PVV leader had previously been taken to court for anti-Islam comments.

The general elections are scheduled to be held on March 15, 2017. Wilders' party is competing for first place.

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