Amsterdam, September 10, 2024-A Dutch court has sentenced two Pakistani political and religious leaders, Saad Hussain Rizvi and Muhammad Ashraf Jalali, to prison in absentia for inciting their followers to murder Dutch politician Geert Wilders.
The court sentenced Muhammad Ashraf Jalali to 14 years in prison for attempting to incite violence against Geert Wilders. Saad Hussain Rizvi, the head of the Pakistani political and religious party Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP), received a four-year prison sentence on similar charges.
Prosecutors had requested a six-year sentence for Rizvi, but the court determined that his statements on social media did not fall under the category of terrorism, resulting in a four-year term. The court described Jalali’s statements as a “serious violation of Geert Wilders’ privacy” and noted that such threats generally impose restrictions on freedom of expression.
The lack of an extradition agreement between the Netherlands and Pakistan raises the likelihood that these sentences may not be enforced.
