A Dutch court sentenced a Pakistani man to 10 years behind bars on Monday (18) for planning to assassinate anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders after the MP announced a Prophet Mohammed cartoon competition.
The man, identified as Junaid I. by local media, was arrested in August 2018 at a train station in The Hague after he posted a film on Facebook in which he said he wanted to "send Wilders to hell" and urged others to help.
Judges at The Hague's district court found the 27-year-old man, who had travelled from France, guilty of "planning a murder with a terrorist motive" and "incitement to commit a terrorist deed".
"The suspect more than once said that Wilders' death would be a good deed," said presiding judge Jan van Steen, who added four years in jail to the six years sought by the prosecution.
"Furthermore, the suspect wanted to commit the murder in one of the parliamentary buildings, the heart of Dutch democracy," Van Steen said, adding "the court is alarmed that the suspect... declared that this case will boost his image in Pakistan."
The suspect had denied any terror-related motives.
He said during the trial that he was "peace-loving" and had only travelled to the Netherlands from France to protest against Wilders' cartoon competition.
The Facebook video was seen by more than 153,000 people and shared 14,000 times.
Far-right leader Wilders cancelled his plans two days later to stage a Prophet Mohammed cartoon competition, a move that angered many Muslims, particularly in Pakistan where protests were led by the hardline Islamist Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan party.
Wilders, 56, known for his peroxide bouffant hairdo and firebrand anti-immigration and anti-Islamist statements, lives in a safe house and has been granted 24-hour protection by the Dutch state.
The court did not say how Junaid I. planned to kill Wilders but found that in a bugged phone call after his arrest he said he took "specific things with him... without which his mission would not be complete."
He had also walked round with a "large backpack, which he did not have when he was arrested" and lied about what it contained, the judges said.
A day after Wilders announced the cancellation, an Afghan man stabbed two American tourists at Amsterdam's main train station. The man, who said he wanted to "protect the Prophet Mohammed", was last month sentenced to 26 years in jail.
Davindra and Seema Misra, and Vijay and Gita Parekh
Varchas Patel with his father Vipin and mother Jayshriben
Hasmukh Shingadia and his wife Chandrika were all victims of the Horizon scandal
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session. (Photo: Hertfordshire Police /Handout via REUTERS)
Man pleads not guilty to murder of BBC presenter's family
A 26-year-old man has pleaded not guilty to charges of murdering the wife and two daughters of BBC sports commentator John Hunt in a crossbow and knife attack.
Kyle Clifford, who also faces charges of rape, appeared via video link at Cambridge Crown Court on Thursday.
Clifford, arrested in July after a manhunt, is charged with three counts of murder, one count each of rape and false imprisonment, and two counts of possessing offensive weapons – a 10-inch knife and a crossbow.
During the hearing, Clifford denied all the charges except for the rape charge, which was added to the indictment at the session.
He is expected to enter a plea for that charge at a later date.
The victims were Carol Hunt, 61, wife of horseracing commentator John Hunt, and their daughters Louise, 25, and Hannah, 28.
An earlier hearing revealed that Louise had been found tied up and that both she and her sister had been shot with a crossbow, while their mother had been stabbed with a knife.
The fatal attack occurred at the family’s home in Bushey, a commuter town near Watford, northwest of London.
(With inputs from AFP)