A Dutch court has issued a 12-year prison sentence to Khalid Latif, a former Pakistani cricketer, who was tried in absentia for allegedly inciting violence against Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders.
Despite living in Pakistan and not participating in the trial or being held in the Netherlands, the court deemed Latif's actions as incitement to murder, sedition and threat.
Prosecutors claimed that Latif posted a video in 2018, offering a reward of approximately 21,000 euros at the time for the murder of Wilders. This video emerged following Wilders' plan to organise a contest featuring cartoons depicting the Muslim Prophet Mohammad, which was later canceled.
Depictions of the Prophet Mohammad are considered sacrilegious in Islam, and caricatures of him are highly offensive to most Muslims.
In 2017, Latif received a five-year cricket ban due to his involvement in a spot-fixing scandal. He had captained the Pakistan team during the 2010 Asian Games.
Geert Wilders, aged 59, is a prominent figure in Europe's far-right movement and has played a significant role in shaping the immigration discourse in the Netherlands for the past decade, despite never holding a government position.
His Freedom Party (PVV) ranks as the third-largest party in the Dutch parliament and serves as the primary opposition. Wilders has been under continuous police protection since 2004.
Previously, during the trial, Wilders addressed Latif and asserted that he would not be silenced by threats. He described Latif's call for violence and the offered reward as reprehensible.
