Why has a Dutch court convicted and sentenced two Pakistanis in absentia?

The convicted individuals are believed to be residing in Pakistan, which does not have an extradition agreement with the Netherlands

A Dutch court on Monday convicted and sentenced two Pakistani religious and political leaders in absentia for inciting followers to murder Geert Wilders, a prominent Dutch anti-Islam politician. Wilders, who leads the Party for Freedom, has faced numerous death threats since his outspoken criticism of Islam and has lived under constant security for nearly two decades.

The convicted individuals, Muhammad Ashraf Asif Jalali and Saad Rizvi are believed to be residing in Pakistan, which does not have an extradition agreement with the Netherlands. Despite efforts by Dutch prosecutors to summon them, Pakistani authorities did not cooperate. As a result, neither Jalali nor Rizvi was present in court during the sentencing.

 

Key convictions

The court found Jalali, a religious leader with a global following, guilty of attempting to incite murder with terrorist intent and issuing threats against Wilders. He was handed a 14-year prison sentence. The court stated that Jalali’s actions not only posed a direct threat to Wilders but also jeopardised freedom of expression, a cornerstone of a democratic society.

Rizvi, who heads the radical Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) party, was sentenced to four years for incitement to murder and threatening Wilders. His sentence was lighter than the prosecution's recommendation because the court determined that his comments on social media while threatening, did not constitute a terrorist offence.

A pattern of threats

This is not the first time Pakistani nationals have been convicted in connection with threats against Wilders. Last year, former Pakistani cricketer Khalid Latif was sentenced to 12 years in prison for offering a bounty on Wilders’ life. Similar to Rizvi and Jalali, Latif remains in Pakistan, outside Dutch custody.

In 2019, another Pakistani man was arrested in the Netherlands and sentenced to 10 years in prison for planning a terrorist attack against Wilders, who has been likened to the Dutch Donald Trump for his provocative views.

Catalyst for threats: 2018 cartoon competition

The surge in death threats against Wilders can be traced back to his controversial 2018 announcement of a cartoon competition featuring depictions of the Prophet Muhammad, which is considered deeply offensive to Muslims. The proposed event triggered widespread protests across Pakistan and other Muslim-majority countries, with clerics and political figures calling for Wilders’ death.

Speaking in court, Wilders described the toll that living under constant threat has taken on him. “Every day, you leave for work in armoured cars, often with sirens on, always aware that this could be your last day,” he said.

Wilders, a staunch critic of Islam, welcomed the verdicts and sentences. “I’m very pleased. This is, I believe, the first time ever in the Netherlands that an imam, from abroad, has been sentenced to a lengthy jail term for placing a fatwa on the head of a parliamentarian. It’s my head. And I’m very pleased about that.”

(With agency inputs)