The Public Prosecution Service East Netherlands today demanded a community service sentence of 40 hours against the leader of Pegida Netherlands. He appeared today before the court in Arnhem on suspicion of discrimination against Muslims, insulting the mayor of Arnhem, and violating an imposed restraining order.
On December 21, 2023, a demonstration in Arnhem was announced on the Facebook page of Pegida. The message stated, among other things, that the mayor of Arnhems co-religionists throw gays from buildings, rape Jewish women, commit attacks, and oppress women. According to the Public Prosecution Service, that post qualifies as discrimination against Muslims, or group insult.
A request from the police to Facebook yielded no evidence that the suspect posted this message, but at todays hearing, the suspect admitted to being responsible for the post. Consequently, the Public Prosecution Service considers this fact proven.
Three months later, on March 23, 2024, the suspect posted a video on X, in which he called the mayor of Arnhem an Islamist. The mayor filed a complaint for insult, and the Public Prosecution Service presented this today as a second criminal offense to the police judge in the court of Arnhem. Given the term used and the circumstances in which it was used, the prosecutor argued, there is, therefore, an insult.
Finally, the suspect violated an imposed restraining order. On March 27, 2024, a temporary order was in effect that the Pegida leader was not allowed to be in Arnhem at that time. An exception was made for a court hearing, provided he did not demonstrate. He did so anyway, by protesting and demonstrating against Islam on that day in front of the court in Arnhem. Thus, he violated an official order.
The judge, after a brief recess, immediately ruled, found all three facts proven, and imposed a community service sentence of 20 hours and a week of conditional imprisonment on the suspect. The suspect must also pay 500 euros as compensation to the Muslim community.