The judge reads the message that Kadir (24) posted on July 20, 2020 under an Instagram post by Geert Wilders.
“Cancer cheese head. Wollah, I slaughter you. This is my second comment. You can erase me, but I’ll put it back in again.”
How does Kadir explain this message?
He shifts back and forth in his chair. “Can I, uh.” Kadir is silent for a moment. “Can I have water?”
The lawyer says that her client finds it “very exciting”.
Kadir, wearing thick black glasses and a white shirt, reads from a note in a trembling voice. “I was born in The Netherlands. I am Dutch and I feel Dutch. However, I am also Muslim and that is my faith. That is part of my own identity.” Kadir lets out a restrained sob, and remains silent for a moment. “I do not find the messages from Mr. Wilders fun and frustrating.” He starts to cry out loud.
“Just take a deep breath,” says the chairman three times, before Kadir can pick up his story again. “I no longer felt like a Dutchman. It seemed like I was a fake Dutchman. A second-rate Dutchman.”
The 24-year-old felt he should do something with that feeling, which is why he posted that comment, he explains. “I wanted to express my anger, but I immediately regretted it. I was ashamed of it, so I deleted it very quickly. I thought Mr Wilders hadn’t even seen it.”
Kadir still lives with his parents, and struggles with a personality disorder – he doesn’t know which one – and an anxiety disorder. Due to his mental problems, he had to stop working as a safety instructor in the corporate world. He has no criminal record, and no police file – except for one traffic fine. Kadir is looking for a treatment for his problems, he did not click with his previous therapist. He would like to go to a clinic in South Africa, he will discuss this with the insurer.
An assistant of Geert Wilders saw the message that Kadir posted and later removed, and a threat was reported during that time. Kadir had already forgotten the message when he was visited by two police officers.
I wanted to express my anger, but I immediately regretted it
That was a very drastic event, says Kadir’s lawyer. Does he want to tell what the interrogation has done to him? “It has deteriorated with me.” He stops talking again and takes a sip of water from the paper cup. He is unable to tell, so his lawyer takes the floor. “After the interrogation, he had a lot of delusions. He constantly thought he was being chased.” He even thought there was a sniper aimed at him.
Kadir’s lawyer pleads for acquittal because Kadir did it in a fit of anger. Not every threat made in a fit of emotion is punishable, according to previous lawsuits. There must also be a “significant chance” that the message will reach the politician, the lawyer says, while the question is whether Wilders has read it – it was only online for a short time.
“It is about a politician who can no longer normally go out on the street without being secured,” says the judge when she starts her verdict. His threat has reached Wilders, she says. “I think the message was posted on purpose to threaten him. That is a criminal offense.”
Threat can be sentenced to two years in prison, but Kadir will not receive a prison sentence. The fact that he has no criminal record works to his advantage. “I see what it has done to you and what it does to you. You have been very shocked by all this and have felt threatened. It’s a stupid thing to say, but that has to be what a politician feels too.”
Kadir is given a community service order of 120 hours, 60 of which are suspended.
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