The Netherlands: Geert Wilders hate speech trial to resume in Netherlands - by Marcel Antonisse

A special panel of judges rejected Tuesday claims of judicial bias raised by Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders, who is facing charges of inciting hatred against Muslims. Mr. Wilders’s trial is now set to resume Wednesday morning led by the same presiding judge, whose impartiality was questioned by the vocally anti-Islam lawmaker when the trial opened Monday morning.

“There is no substantial evidence to show that the judges have given the impression of being biased, therefore the request is being denied,” said Frans Bauduin, one of the review judges.


“He is trying to turn the court into a podium for his political activities,” says Rudy Andeweg, a professor of Dutch politics at Leiden University. “He enjoys the attention. He wants a political trial but judges won’t have that.”

Wilders’s populist Freedom Party, which became the nation’s third-largest following the June elections, has already agreed to back a new conservative government headed by the free market VVD party.  Rebel Christian Democratic Alliance (CDA) legislators Kathleen Ferrier and Ad Koppejan also offered their support Tuesday for the new Dutch Government coalition, removing the last hurdle to establishing The Netherlands’ first postwar minority government. At the same time the dissidents said they would not agree with legislation proposed by Wilders during the life of the coalition, if these were based on racial or religious discrimination.


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