I just got this brief note from Paul Belien about today’s session of the Geert Wilders trial in Amsterdam:
Short session.
The court ruled that it is competent to deal with the case.
It restricted the list of eighteen witnesses which Wilders had asked to be heard to only three people: the Dutch Arabists Jansen and Admiraal, plus Wafa Sultan.
Hans Jansen is a big gun, so it’s good to see that he will be testifying. Being “brown”, Wafa Sultan may help deflect the racism charge, although I doubt it.
It’s easy to guess why the various Islamist experts were stricken from the list: poor security in the courtroom. The authorities would not want to endanger the likes of Ahmed Bouyeri by subjecting him to the laughable security afforded Geert Wilders in this trial.
So the courtroom will be a mirror of Dutch society: native Dutch and apostate Muslims exposed to the wrath of the Islamic radicals surrounding the courthouse.
I’ll have more later when additional reports come in.
[Post ends here]
3 comments:
This trial is a travesty and a very dark chapter in Dutch history. I just hope that it won't become the final chapter in Dutch history....
Nothing less that total vindication will be acceptable.
More appropriate would be an invitation to Buckingham Palace and a knighthood for his bravery as a modern crusader!
The general rule is that it is up to the defendant to decide which witnesses he calls. Unless it can be shown that there is nothing that the witness can say on the issues at hand. Plus there is a presumption in favour (presumption of innocence) of the defendant in deciding such things.
This is another show-trial court, like the ridiculous Canadian human rights tribunals, that ruling classes find so irresistible.
I'm just surprised that it is the Dutch who are leading the way in this regard.
Best wishes,
Hal
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