Khalid Latif, a former Pakistani international cricketer, has been sentenced to 12-year jail time in the Netherlands for his involvement in a significant case involving threats against Dutch Member of Parliament, Geert Wilders. Latif has been convicted on charges related to making explicit threats against Dutch MP through a video posted online back in 2018
In the controversial video, Latif offered a substantial bounty of €21,000 (equivalent to £18,000) to anyone willing to murder Geert Wilders. This menacing act was a direct response to Wilders' comments concerning the Prophet Muhammad, which were perceived as deeply offensive to Muslims
Despite the pronounced 12-year prison sentence, it remains improbable that Latif will serve any of his term in a Dutch prison, primarily due to his current residence in Pakistan. Pakistan lacks an extradition treaty with the Netherlands, making it exceedingly challenging to enforce the sentence
The court's verdict accentuated concerns that Latif's online video could have far-reaching repercussions, as it raised genuine fears that someone, somewhere around the world, might act upon the call to harm Wilders
Judge G Verbeek, presiding over the case, emphasised that Khalid Latif's menacing comments transcended a personal attack on Geert Wilders and that they constituted a broader assault on the fundamental principle of free speech
The video posted by Latif was a direct response to Geert Wilders' highly provocative announcement of a competition involving caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad, an issue of immense sensitivity in the Islamic faith, where depictions of the Prophet are strictly prohibited
Geert Wilders, recognised for his strident "anti-Islam rhetoric", faced massive protests and multiple death threats in the aftermath of his caricature competition announcement. Ultimately, he retracted the competition
Geert Wilders has a history marred by legal disputes; in 2020, he was acquitted of charges of inciting hatred and discrimination, yet he was concurrently convicted for insulting a racial group. His legal troubles also included a conviction on similar charges in 2016
Khalid Latif isn't a stranger to controversies either. Latif's association with cricket met an abrupt end in 2017 when he received a five-year ban from the sport due to his involvement in a notorious spot-fixing scandal
Following the court's decision, Geert Wilders called upon Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and the nation's justice minister to exert "strong pressure" on Pakistani authorities, urging them to apprehend and extradite Khalid Latif