On Monday, a court in the Netherlands imposed a 12-year sentence on Khalid Latif, a former cricket player for Pakistan, for inciting the assassination of the controversial politician Geert Wilders, known for his outspoken criticism of Islam.
The 37-year-old Latif had promised a reward of €21,000 ($22,500) in an online video for anyone who would kill Wilders. This situation escalated following Wilders’ attempt to organize a cartoon contest depicting the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH).
Judge G. Verbeek noted in court that Latif’s call for violence seriously heightened the risk to Wilders’ life. “Latif was aware that his public statement could potentially encourage individuals globally to act on his call for violence against Mr. Wilders,” Verbeek remarked. “His words aggravated the existing threat against Wilders.”
Despite the conviction, Latif seems unlikely to serve time, as he was convicted in absentia. Efforts by Dutch officials to interrogate him concerning the case have been unsuccessful, even with requests for legal cooperation directed to Pakistan proving fruitless.
In response to the widespread protests in Pakistan and numerous death threats, Wilders subsequently abandoned the cartoon contest. Wilders, who has been under continuous government protection since 2004, saw his initiative heavily criticized in the Netherlands by various sectors, including politicians, media, and the general public, who deemed it unnecessarily provocative towards the Muslim community.
This isn’t the first incident where threats against Wilders materialized; in 2019, a man from Pakistan received a 10-year sentence for planning to assassinate him following the cancellation of the cartoon contest.
Judge Verbeek emphasized that the video released by Latif attacked not only Wilders but also threatened the principle of freedom of speech in the country.
Latif, whose cricket career included participation in five one-day internationals and 13 T20 internationals representing Pakistan, had previously faced a five-year ban in 2017 for involvement in a spot-fixing scandal during a Pakistan Super League game in Dubai. His last game for Pakistan was in September 2016 against the West Indies in Abu Dhabi.
Furthermore, Verbeek observed that Latif utilized his status as a well-known cricketer to exacerbate the volatile situation in the Netherlands, which was already experiencing several threats.
