DUTCHNEWS.nl: The new judges sent out a clear message on day one of the trial against PVV leader Geert Wilders: we are in charge here, not the lawyer, not the accused and certainly not the cameras, writes Nico de Fijter in Trouw [Wiki].
‘Your answer please’ the senior judge urged Wilders’ lawyer Bram Moszkowicz who apparently took too long to react. And moments later, when he made an unsolicited comment on something his opposite number said, the judge reacted with a terse: ‘You are speaking out of turn, Mr. Moszkowicz.’
The new judges, lead by Marcel van Oosten (64) have opted for a strict, businesslike and above all decisive tone.
Tongues had been wagging about how the new judges were going to handle Wilders II. The judiciary came out of the first round with quite a lot of egg on its face. Impolitic comments and downright blunders marked the first trial and lead to the dismissal of the judges.
The judiciary administration did not fare much better: the judges lacked support and were insufficiently prepared. The question of whether or not Wilders was guilty of discrimination and inciting hatred all but disappeared in the judiciary melee.
This is why the judges, the court and the whole judiciary want to see a flawless trial that is not so much about them but about the accused. And that can only happen if the judge takes charge.
And he did. It showed in the way he ticked off Moszkowicz. The camera registration of the trial has been adapted, too. It is still transmitted live but recording will start when the judges have entered the court, not before. And when they leave, the camera’s are no longer allowed to linger either. It’s as if the judges are saying: nothing of importance is going to happen until we are here. >>> | Tuesday, February 08, 2011
BBC: Dutch MP Geert Wilders back in court over 'hate speech': Dutch anti-Islam MP Geert Wilders has returned to court in Amsterdam to face trial for inciting hatred, before a new set of judges. >>> | Monday, February 07, 2011
NZZ ONLINE: Rechtspopulist Wilders erneut vor Gericht: Verteidiger will Van-Gogh-Mörder als Zeugen >>> sda | Montag, 07. Februar 2011
LA-CROIX: LA HAYE - Pays-Bas : Geert Wilders se dit "persécuté" pour ses opinions anti-islam
Le député néerlandais d'extrême droite Geert Wilders, poursuivi pour incitation à la haine raciale et à la discrimination envers les musulmans, a affirmé lundi devant le tribunal d'Amsterdam être "persécuté" pour ses opinions anti-islam.
"Les citoyens qui critiquent l'islam paient un lourd tribut. Ils sont menacés, persécutés, criminalisés", a soutenu le député, lors d'une audience de procédure retransmise sur internet.
"Celui qui dit la vérité est en danger", a ajouté le chef du Parti pour la liberté (PVV), poursuivi pour avoir qualifié l'islam de "fasciste" et réclamé l'interdiction du Coran, comparé au livre "Mein Kampf" d'Adolf Hitler. >>> AFP | Lundi 07 Février 2011
