2024-01-09 19:37:00
In September 2018, the VRT uncovered racist and negationist exchanges exchanged by members of Schild en Vrienden on the Discord messaging system. This did not prevent Dries Van Langenhove from being elected deputy in 2019 on the Vlaams Belang lists. He resigned last spring.
The public prosecutor denounced on Tuesday the “cesspool of hate speech, racism and negationism” in the exchanges between the members of the group. “It was about dehumanizing. The most extreme insults were directed against immigrants. And this, before a speech to clean up, deport, exterminate or hang these groups in public.
Far right: Unia files complaint against Dries Van Langenhove following a video published on social networks
He defended himself against any moral discourse: “We can express worrying opinions. Perhaps they will invoke freedom of expression but inciting hatred is not an opinion”. And to request two years in prison (one year for offenses related to the laws on racism and negationism and one year for violation of the laws on weapons, namely a Pepper Spray) and a fine of 24,000 euros against Dries Van Langenhove as well as, perhaps most importantly, ten years of disenfranchisement of civil and political rights. Which amounts to ineligibility. However, he is not opposed to the suspension. Against the six other defendants, he requested a six-month suspended sentence.
Me Hans Rieder, the former MP’s lawyer, tried unsuccessfully last year to obtain the recusal of the judges. On Tuesday, he remained in distrust of the court. He did not enter arguments on the merits, indicating that he was reserving his arguments for the appeals court. Judgment on March 12.
1704847111
#Ten #years #ineligibility #required #Van #Langenhove