Anti-Islam Dutch MP Geert Wilders found guilty of hate speech, by Senay Boztas.

Dutch far-right wing politician Geert Wilders was today found guilty of hate speech and inciting racial discrimination for leading a chant calling for “fewer, fewer” Moroccans in the Netherlands.

Presiding Judge Hendrik Steenhuis said the court would not impose a sentence because the conviction was punishment enough for a democratically elected lawmaker. Prosecutors had asked judges to fine him 5,000 euros ($5,300).

Wilders, head of the PVV Freedom Party, was not present to hear the judgement but his lawyer Geert-Jan Knoops immediately issued a statement to say that he would appeal.

Wilders replied:

“I still cannot believe it, but I have been convicted because I asked a question about Moroccans. The Netherlands has become a sick country. The judge who convicted me [has] restricted the freedom of speech for millions of Dutch. I will never be silent. I am not a racist and neither are my voters.”

A complainant commented:

Abdou Menebhi, one of the complainants, said that he was “satisfied”. He told The Daily Telegraph: “For the first time, Wilders has been condemned for racism and discrimination: half a million people feel the threat of Wilders every day. This gives us trust in the legal process. I hope people who vote for Wilders will listen.”

The ever blunt Robert Spencer:

This conviction is part of the ongoing attempt by the Left to criminalize dissent from their globalist, multicultural agenda.

hat-tip Stephen Neil