Pakistani ex-cricketer Khalid Latif ‘supplied cash to kill’ anti-Islam Dutch politician Geert Wilders
Dutch prosecutors have demanded a 12-year jail sentence if a former Pakistani cricketer is discovered responsible of incitement to homicide anti-Islam Dutch politician Geert Wilders.
The suspect, recognized by Mr Wilders as Khalid Latif, 37, is accused of providing a bounty of round €21,000 (£18,000) to anyone who killed the politician.
Neither Latif or any lawyer representing him have been current within the high-security courtroom close to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport as his trial began on Tuesday, as he’s believed to be in Pakistan.
Prosecutors didn’t title the sportsman however mentioned in an announcement {that a} video posted on-line in 2018 confirmed a well-known Pakistan cricketer providing cash for killing Mr Wilders.
Khalid Latif is believed to be in Pakistan. Pic: AP
The risk got here after Mr Wilders mentioned he would organise a contest of cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad.
This sparked outrage within the Muslim group, as many take into account any depictions of Muhammad to be blasphemous.
The contest didn’t go forward, however Mr Wilders has lived below round the clock safety for years due to repeated threats to his life.
Mr Wilders mentioned Latif ‘will not cease me’
‘You will not cease me’
In an announcement written by the Dutch public prosecution service, they mentioned the video created by Latif “was extra toxic because it was issued during a period in which there was a lot of hatred and anger towards Geert Wilders”.
An worldwide warrant has been issued for Latif’s arrest and Dutch prosecutors mentioned they’ve been making an attempt to contact him since 2018, first as a witness after which to reply the costs in opposition to him.
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They mentioned that killing Mr Wilders would “have been an attack on the rule of law itself” in addition to having brought on “unbearable pain to his loved ones”.
Speaking in court docket on Tuesday, Mr Wilders addressed Latif, saying: “As long as I’m living and breathing, you won’t stop me. Your call to kill me and pay money for it is abject and will not silence me.”
He mentioned {that a} conviction would ship a “powerful signal to all other others who issue threats: we won’t accept it”.
(L-R) Pakistan’s Khalid Latif talks with Sharjeel Khan in 2016
In 2017, Latif, was banned for five years from all types of cricket for his position in a match-fixing scandal within the Pakistan Super League.
He made his T20 International debut for Pakistan in 2008 and helped take the staff to victory in opposition to England within the 2016 T20.