Dutch far-right MP Geert Wilders remained unrepentant Friday over statements made which prosecutors say incited racial hatred in the Netherlands, saying "I will not take back what I said".
Wilders appeared before a top security court ahead of his upcoming trial, charged with discrimination and incitement to racial hatred over statements made two years ago about Moroccans living in the country.
"I meant what I said, speaking on behalf of millions of Dutch people. I will not take back what I have said and I have no remorse," Wilders told a three-judge bench at a hearing, held at a fortress-like courthouse close to Amsterdam's Schiphol airport.
The case against Wilders centres on comments by the populist politician -- famous for his trademark blond hairdo -- at a March 2014 local election rally and will test the boundaries of the liberal Dutch laws on the issue.
He asked supporters in The Hague whether they wanted "fewer or more Moroccans in your city and in the Netherlands?"
When the crowd shouted back "Fewer! Fewer!" a smiling Wilders answered: "We're going to organise that."
The remark triggered 6,400 complaints from across the Netherlands, and Wilders even faced criticism from within his Party for Freedom (PVV).
But on Friday, Wilders stuck to his guns.
"Why did I speak about fewer Moroccans? The answer, as said before, is because I do want fewer Moroccans in the Netherlands," said Wilders, who also stressed that "I don't hate anybody and I'm not inciting hatred."
"I am simply saying what millions of Dutch people are thinking," he said.
- 'Moroccans insulted' -
Dressed in a blue suit, Wilders appeared relaxed, getting out his phone to take a picture of the photographers jostling to take his picture as the hearing opened.
Prosecutor Wouter Bos told the judges: "Racism and hatred towards foreigners are in direct contravention of the freedoms we have in a democratic society."
"The prosecution believes that you insulted Moroccans as a group and committed incitement to hate speech," he added, saying that while "freedom of speech is a fundamental principle .... (it) is not an absolute."
Wilders' lawyer Geert-Jan Knoops told judges the case should be stopped immediately so an investigation can be launched into how sensitive documents including Wilders's opening statement were leaked to a Dutch newspaper.
- 'Hit lists' -
Outside the heavily-fortified court complex, a handful of supporters, waving Dutch flags and scarves, gathered early Friday watched by dozens of police and gendarmes.
Six people -- all believed to be members of a fringe rightwing extremist group -- were later charged with illegal weapons possession after police found knives, pepper spray and a blackjack in their car, police said.
Security forces lined the road to the high-security complex, a few kilometres (miles) outside Schiphol Airport.
Wilders is described as the "most heavily-guarded man" in the Netherlands because of his views and has around-the-clock protection.
Knoops told the court that his client is "on hit lists drawn up by Al-Qaeda, the Taliban and the Islamic State" group.
Given that Wilders was being constantly guarded "freedom of speech is the last freedom he has left" and that Wilders had a right to a fair trial, Knoops said.
The spike in the numbers of refugees arriving in the Netherlands has polarised Dutch society, with Wilders's party tapping into popular discontent and currently topping opinion polls.
Wilders has denounced the decision to prosecute him as "incomprehensible," telling AFP in a recent interview that he was referring to a "criminal element" among Moroccans and not to the group as a whole.
Friday's hearing has been called to examine where the investigations stand ahead of the full trial due to start on October 31.
If found guilty, Wilders could face up to two years in jail or a fine of more than 20,000 euros.
Wilders, who has repeatedly denounced Islam and famously compared the Koran to Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf," was acquitted during a first hate trial in 2011 which concluded he could not be found guilty because his remarks targeted a religion and not a specific group of people.
Dutch far-right MP Geert Wilders remained unrepentant Friday over statements made which prosecutors say incited racial hatred in the Netherlands, saying “I will not take back what I said”.
Wilders appeared before a top security court ahead of his upcoming trial, charged with discrimination and incitement to racial hatred over statements made two years ago about Moroccans living in the country.
“I meant what I said, speaking on behalf of millions of Dutch people. I will not take back what I have said and I have no remorse,” Wilders told a three-judge bench at a hearing, held at a fortress-like courthouse close to Amsterdam’s Schiphol airport.
The case against Wilders centres on comments by the populist politician — famous for his trademark blond hairdo — at a March 2014 local election rally and will test the boundaries of the liberal Dutch laws on the issue.
He asked supporters in The Hague whether they wanted “fewer or more Moroccans in your city and in the Netherlands?”
When the crowd shouted back “Fewer! Fewer!” a smiling Wilders answered: “We’re going to organise that.”
The remark triggered 6,400 complaints from across the Netherlands, and Wilders even faced criticism from within his Party for Freedom (PVV).
But on Friday, Wilders stuck to his guns.
“Why did I speak about fewer Moroccans? The answer, as said before, is because I do want fewer Moroccans in the Netherlands,” said Wilders, who also stressed that “I don’t hate anybody and I’m not inciting hatred.”
“I am simply saying what millions of Dutch people are thinking,” he said.
– ‘Moroccans insulted’ –
Dressed in a blue suit, Wilders appeared relaxed, getting out his phone to take a picture of the photographers jostling to take his picture as the hearing opened.
Prosecutor Wouter Bos told the judges: “Racism and hatred towards foreigners are in direct contravention of the freedoms we have in a democratic society.”
“The prosecution believes that you insulted Moroccans as a group and committed incitement to hate speech,” he added, saying that while “freedom of speech is a fundamental principle …. (it) is not an absolute.”
Wilders’ lawyer Geert-Jan Knoops told judges the case should be stopped immediately so an investigation can be launched into how sensitive documents including Wilders’s opening statement were leaked to a Dutch newspaper.
– ‘Hit lists’ –
Outside the heavily-fortified court complex, a handful of supporters, waving Dutch flags and scarves, gathered early Friday watched by dozens of police and gendarmes.
Six people — all believed to be members of a fringe rightwing extremist group — were later charged with illegal weapons possession after police found knives, pepper spray and a blackjack in their car, police said.
Security forces lined the road to the high-security complex, a few kilometres (miles) outside Schiphol Airport.
Wilders is described as the “most heavily-guarded man” in the Netherlands because of his views and has around-the-clock protection.
Knoops told the court that his client is “on hit lists drawn up by Al-Qaeda, the Taliban and the Islamic State” group.
Given that Wilders was being constantly guarded “freedom of speech is the last freedom he has left” and that Wilders had a right to a fair trial, Knoops said.
The spike in the numbers of refugees arriving in the Netherlands has polarised Dutch society, with Wilders’s party tapping into popular discontent and currently topping opinion polls.
Wilders has denounced the decision to prosecute him as “incomprehensible,” telling AFP in a recent interview that he was referring to a “criminal element” among Moroccans and not to the group as a whole.
Friday’s hearing has been called to examine where the investigations stand ahead of the full trial due to start on October 31.
If found guilty, Wilders could face up to two years in jail or a fine of more than 20,000 euros.
Wilders, who has repeatedly denounced Islam and famously compared the Koran to Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf,” was acquitted during a first hate trial in 2011 which concluded he could not be found guilty because his remarks targeted a religion and not a specific group of people.
