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Geert Wilders gives a brief statement after A Dutch court acquitted him of hate speech and discrimination in Amsterdam AP Photo/Evert Elzinga

Far-right Dutch politician cleared of hate charges

Geert Wilders had compared the Koran to Mein Kampf and faced charges of hate speech and discrimination.

THE FAR-RIGHT Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders has been acquitted on charges of hate speech and discrimination in an Amsterdam court.

Wilders had been on trial since October had faced five counts for his anti-Islamic remarks on websites, Internet forums and in Dutch newspapers between October 2006 and March 2008. He had also made a short film called Fitna, which is arabic for ‘Discord’. The film showed images of the 9/11 attacks in the US and other attacks on Western targets, interspersed with verses for the Koran. He had also compared the Muslim holy book with Mein Kampf.

The MP has called his acquittal a victory for freedom of speech after the court said that his statments fell within the bounds of legitimate political debate, reports The Guardian. Judge Marcel van Oosten said that his comments must be viewed in the context of immigration policy.

The judge said that although Wilders comments were “gross and degenerating” they did not give rise to hatred.

The 47-year-old Wilders, whose right-wing Party for Freedom  lends its support to a right-leaning Dutch coalition government, told journalists afterwards he was “overjoyed and very happy” to have been acquitted.

“It is not only a victory for me but also a victory for freedom of speech,” he said outside the courtroom.

He added: “It means it is legal to criticise Islam.”

The acquittal comes after Wilders last month argued before judges that he was “defending freedom in the Netherlands” against Islam.

One of Europe’s most heavily-guarded politicians, the lawmaker told the court he was “obliged to speak” because The Netherlands is “under threat” from Islam.

Wilders previously said he was “defending the character, the identity, the culture” of The Netherlands.

His case has been helped by a reluctant prosecution, which last month again asked for his acquittal, saying that although his comments may have frequently caused anxiety and insult, they were not criminal as they criticised Islam as a religion and not Muslims as a people.

The prosecution’s unwillingness to take aim at Wilders dates as far back as 2008 when it refused to take up a case against him following complaints. On January 21, 2009, however, the Amsterdam appeals court forced the prosecution to mount a case against him.

Wilders’ trial also comes against a backdrop of plans by the central-right Dutch government to move away from a multicultural approach towards a tougher stance against those who ignore Dutch values and break the law.

The BBC reports that members of minority groups who took the case had been seeking a symbolic one-euro fine. They have said that they’ll consider taking their case to the European Court of Human Rights.

-Additional reporting by AP

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9 Comments
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    Mute Alan Corlett
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    Apr 26th 2015, 11:38 AM

    Well we have a teacher pretending to do a Taoiseachs job

    204
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    Mute Buckwheat MacMillan
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    Apr 26th 2015, 11:46 AM

    Very original, an off topics dig at govt. a first for the journal

    88
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    Mute Neal Ireland Hello
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    Apr 26th 2015, 11:49 AM

    Alan, it’s quite normal for a taoiseach to have been in a different job before he became taoiseach. They don’t come up through a special Taoiseach-training college.

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    Mute Alan Corlett
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    Apr 26th 2015, 12:01 PM

    Therein lies the problem

    58
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    Mute Lesley Mulhall
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    Apr 26th 2015, 11:41 AM

    Is it wrong that I found that quite funny? Head case. What possessed her.

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    Mute Arthur Pewty
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    Apr 26th 2015, 11:43 AM

    yes, it is wrong.

    25
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    Mute juicy pants
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    Apr 26th 2015, 11:46 AM

    You’re the head case for finding that funny.

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    Mute Lesley Mulhall
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    Apr 26th 2015, 11:47 AM

    Think I might be on my way to hell!

    55
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    Mute juicy pants
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    Apr 26th 2015, 11:54 AM

    Get her to pull your teeth and you’re half way there!

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    Mute Alan O Reilly
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    Apr 26th 2015, 11:58 AM

    What time do dentists take a break….tooth hurty

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    Mute Biscuits Patinkin
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    Apr 26th 2015, 12:09 PM

    TAXI FOR O’REILLY

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    Mute Chief
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    Apr 26th 2015, 12:32 PM

    One way to nevercomebacksville

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    Mute Celticspirit321
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    Apr 26th 2015, 11:35 AM

    Plenty cowboys in Ireland too

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    Mute Chief
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    Apr 26th 2015, 12:30 PM

    I know!!!

    54
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    Mute Joanna
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    Apr 26th 2015, 11:53 AM

    She totally copied Mr. Bean.

    34
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    Mute David Beattie
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    Apr 26th 2015, 12:02 PM

    At least the authorities copped on to her and got to the Root of the problem.

    26
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    Mute Mark Fields
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    Apr 26th 2015, 11:41 AM

    Tooth fairy?

    18
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    Mute tonymcc
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    Apr 26th 2015, 12:01 PM

    Looks like she has nice teeth,

    15
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    Mute Lauren Masterson
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    Apr 26th 2015, 12:14 PM

    I cried reading this.. All those poor patients … I’m crying for them … I sympathise for the ones who now have dry socket .. I have dry socket on both sides of my mouth where I had my upper wisdom teeth removed last week by a real dentist .. Well I think it was a real dentist. Lol seriously though whatever about pulling teeth performing root canals ??? Ouch

    14
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    Mute Lauren Masterson
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    Apr 26th 2015, 2:49 PM

    Thanks pontius your support is appreciated . Big shout out to the manufacturers of neurophen plus !!

    11
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    Mute Anna Fierce
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    Apr 26th 2015, 6:22 PM

    I think the moral of this story is don’t comment on articles when you’re dosed up on pain meds!

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    Mute Lauren Masterson
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    Apr 26th 2015, 6:36 PM

    I think you may be right…… All the red thumbs.. My ego is hurt as well as my mouth now :(

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    Mute molly coddled
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    Apr 27th 2015, 12:40 AM

    @Lauren, cotton wad soaked in oil of cloves works wonders.

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    Mute molly coddled
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    Apr 27th 2015, 12:44 AM

    *for a dry socket infection.

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    Mute Lauren Masterson
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    Apr 27th 2015, 10:15 AM

    Somebody actually told me the exact same thing yesterday ! I will do that today ! Thank you @Molly

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    Mute Chris
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    Apr 26th 2015, 7:34 PM

    Seems yoy can’t handle the tooth!

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    Mute Michael Vines
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    Apr 26th 2015, 3:35 PM

    She was pulling their teeth, seems that she was pulling their leg as well

    3
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