Geert Wilders fears he will not receive a fair trail. "I have already been convicted," he told Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad today. "This is banana justice." Wilders admits to having been taken completely by surprise by the verdict of the Amsterdam appeals court that he is to be prosecuted for his criticism of Islam.
"The public prosecutor agreed with me that I was allowed to say what I have said. The attorney general at the appeals court argued that very case. I never thought that things would turn out this way."
He feels the appeals court has deprived him of the chance to receive a fair trial.
"I have studied the ruling in depth, and have come to the conclusion that it is a politically motivated verdict. Normally, in these kind of appeals cases, a court rules on subsequent steps and includes an short explanation. But here the appeals court is entirely focused on the content of the case. Therefore I can no longer get a fair trial. Should I stand before the lower court judge, there will already be a peremptory ruling from the appeals court on his desk. And if I go for an appeal, I end up in the same court. The immediate colleagues of the judges who have already sentenced me, will then be in a position to rule. That is unbelievable. The Wall Street Journal editorial is right. The appeals court is introducing Saudi Arabian legal standards to the Netherlands."
Wilders is disappointed that he was not allowed to present a serious defense.
"I have given a statement, but the appeals court has not asked me a single question. I have not been allowed to call any witnesses or experts."
His shock and disappointment at the ruling do not mean he will give up. Wilders told the newspaper he is "shaken, but also very angry and ready to fight"
