Berlin, Oct. 4, IRNA — The trial of Dutch Islamophobic politician Geert Wilders for inciting racial hatred and insulting Muslims was interrupted on Monday after his lawyers accused the judge of being allegedly prejudiced against him.
A special meeting must now determine whether there is any validity to the assertions of Wilders’ legal team. The meeting is scheduled to be held on Monday but it was not yet clear whether a decision would be made on the same day.
Wilders surprisingly invoked his right to remain silent as his much-awaited trial on charges of inciting racial hatred began.
He is facing charges of incitement to hatred, discrimination against Muslims and insulting Moroccans and other non-Western foreigners.
The court will be specifically looking at interviews Wilders gave in which he termed Islam a fascist ideology and compared the holy Quran to Adolf Hitler’s book Mein Kampf. He is also responsible for the anti-Islam film ‘Fitna’ and has made numerous outrageous landering statements about Muslims in speeches and interviews.
If convicted, the 47-year-old Islamophobe faces up to 12 months in prison and a fine of up to 7,600 euros.
The trial is set to continue all month, with a verdict tentatively slated for November 4.