In a significant development, a 56-year-old Pakistani mullah and political leader, Muhammed Ashraf Jalali, has been recommended by the Dutch Public Prosecution Service (OM) to face a lengthy prison term of 14 years for attempting to incite the murder of Geert Wilders, the leader of the far-right political party PVV. The case was heard in a heavily secured court near Schiphol Airport, where the suspect, along with another Pakistani man, Saad Hussain Rizvi, who was separately tried for similar charges, did not appear. Both men also did not appoint attorneys to represent them in court.
Jalali, as a cleric, was accused of using his position to call for the killing of Wilders, with the prosecutor alleging that he suggested methods such as beheading or hanging. The prosecutor stressed the seriousness of the case, pointing out the increasing trend of politicians being threatened. Geert Wilders, the victim of the threats, was present during the trial and expressed satisfaction with the signal sent by the Public Prosecution Service through the tough demand.
Saad Hussain Rizvi, aged 29, is also alleged to have called for Wilders’ murder. He is accused of encouraging his audience to take on this task, following the sentence of Khalid Latif, a former Pakistani cricket player, who was convicted in absentia for attempting to incite the murder of Wilders in 2018. Latif had offered a reward of 21,000 euros for the murder of the PVV leader in response to a cartoon competition about the Prophet Mohammed that Wilders had organized.
In a related incident, a Pakistani man was previously accused of traveling to The Hague in 2018 with the intention of carrying out an attack on Wilders, which led to his conviction and a 10-year prison sentence in 2021. The Netherlands lacks an extradition treaty with Pakistan, and the Public Prosecution Service has made several requests for legal assistance, which have not been answered.
The court is expected to announce its verdict on September 9. The case underscores the growing concerns around threats to political figures and the challenges in enforcing laws across borders.
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