The courtroom dominated that statements by Latif must be considered incitement to homicide, sedition and menace.

Latif lives in Pakistan and has not attended any stage of the trial or been detained within the Netherlands.

The Netherlands and Pakistan haven’t any treaties in place relating to judicial cooperation or extradition, and earlier requests for cooperation on this case acquired no response, the prosecution has stated.

The courtroom stated prosecutors had proved that Latif posted a video in 2018, by which he provided a PKR 3 million (EUR 21,000 approx. on the time) reward for the homicide of Wilders.

That video got here at a time of fierce demonstrations in opposition to Wilders in Pakistan, after he had introduced a cartoon contest depicting caricatures of Prophet Mohammad. The competitors was later cancelled.

«The words used by the suspect are explicit: he promises to pay a considerable sum of money to anyone who engages in a specific act, namely the killing of Mr Wilders,» the Hague district courtroom stated.

«It is very likely that someone — anywhere in the world — would feel compelled to act on this call,» the courtroom added in reference to the protests, the place Dutch flags had been burned and others had additionally known as for the killing of Wilders.

Images of the Prophet Mohammad are forbidden in Islam. Caricatures are regarded by most Muslims as extremely offensive.

Wilders, 60, is considered one of Europe’s most distinguished far-right leaders and has been a key determine in shaping the immigration debate within the Netherlands over the previous 20 years, though he has by no means been in authorities. His Freedom Party (PVV) is the third-largest within the Dutch parliament and is the primary opposition get together. Wilders has lived beneath fixed police safety since 2004.

Edited Reuters copy