Dutch prosecutors on Tuesday demanded 12 years in prison for a former Pakistani cricketer accused of offering around 21,000 euros in exchange for someone killing the Netherlands’ most prominent far-right politician, Geert Wilders.
Khalid Latif offered the money to anyone who would assassinate Wilders, prosecutors said, after the Freedom Party leader devised a cartoon contest in 2018 asking people to submit caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad.
The contest angered Muslims, as any portrayal of Muhammad is considered blasphemous. In a social media clip, Latif promised 3 crore Pakistani rupees to anyone who killed “the person who masterminded this game”, adding: “If I had more, I would give it.” wilders finally cancelled the competition.
Neither Latif nor his lawyer appeared in court to answer the charges, although Wilders did appear.
Speaking in court, the controversial far-right lawmaker managed the absent Latif: “As long as I live and breathe, you will not stop me. Your call to kill me and pay money for it is abject and will not silence me.”
The prosecutor saying Since 2018 they tried to speak to Latif and requested legal assistance from Islamabad, but received no response.
The court is expected to rule in two weeks, according to Dutch media reported.
Latif played several international matches for Pakistan before he was banned from playing cricket after being caught up by watchdogs in a corruption scandal in 2017.