Four legal scholars have voiced their opinions about Geert Wilders being prosecuted for inciting hate, and are completely against it. They say the case should be dropped, "This prosecution doesn't belong in a civilised country".
Tom Zwart, who is senior lecturer in human rights at the University of Utrecht, said this in an interview with the De Pers newspaper.
Zwart is supported by three other legal scholars: Theo de Roos, senior lecturer in Criminal Law at Tilburg University, Henny Sackers, senior lecturer at Radboud University in Nijmegen, and Elsevier writer Afshin Ellian who is also senior lecturer on Social Cohesion, Citizenry, and Multi-Culturalism at Leiden University.
The four scholars say the case should never have been brought to court and are calling for the Judge to throw the case out. The case continues next month.
De Roos: "Where I have a big problem, is the fact that Wilders' one-liners have been taken out of context and the wrong conclusions drawn. If you look at them in context, you see that he has a valid opinion about protecting Dutch culture from Islam. You might find this bad, or hilarious, but it is still part of the national debate".
Tom Zwart said: "What do you say now to all the people who have voted for Wilders? You are actually saying that they should be behind bars too".
Wilders was going to call the four as witnesses, but the Judges said no can do.
By giving an interview to the press, they are hoping that they will now have some influence on the case."We may all have different views about the content of Wilders' speeches, but we look at it as legal scholars. The point is: you don't have to agree with what Wilders says, to find that he has the right to say it", said Ellian.
Hate
Wilders has to answer to the judge for inciting hatred, insulting Muslims and other non-western immigrants (allochtonen), and discrimination.
Originally the OM (Openbaar Ministerie - prosecution), didn't want to pursue the case because they saw what he said as contributing to the national debate.
The Gerechtshof, (Higher Court), in Amsterdam decided otherwise and saw possible illegallities in what Wilders has said about Islam. The case is being helped along by the anti-racism club, Nederland Bekent Kleur, (Holland Recognises Colour), whose leader is René Danen.
http://www.elsevier.nl/web/Nieuws/Laats ... ilders.htm