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WORLD NEWS Tuesday 3 sepTember 2024
A Pakistani religious leader is tried in his absence for allegedly

threatening Geert Wilders

By MIKE CORDER brief trial.
Associated Press “Every day you get up and
SCHIPHOL, Netherlands (AP) leave for work in armored
— Prosecutors demanded a cars, often with sirens on,
14-year sentence Monday and you are always aware
for a Pakistani Muslim leader somewhere in the back of
accused of inciting the mur- your mind that this could be
der of anti-Islam lawmaker your last day,” Wilders told
Geert Wilders, the leader the court.
of the party that won last “I’m 60 now, I haven’t been
year’s general election in free since I was 40,” he add-
the Netherlands. ed.
Muhammad Ashraf Asif Ja- While Jalali is not likely to
lali did not appear for trial ever serve a sentence if he
at a closely guarded court- is convicted, Wilders said
room near Amsterdam as he hoped the case would
prosecutors accused him send a message to him and
of abusing his position as a the world that issuing death
religious leader to call on fol- threats would not be ac-
lowers to hang or behead cepted.
Wilders. A prosecutor, who asked not
In a second case, prosecu- Anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders, takes his seat at the high security court at Schiphol, near to be identified for security
tors sought a six-year sen- Amsterdam, Netherlands, Monday, Sept. 2, 2024, where two Pakistani men go on trial, likely in reasons, told judges that the
tence against a second their absence, on charges of threatening anti-Islam lawmaker Wilders, whose Party for Freedom threats began to be aired on
won national elections last year.
Pakistani man, Saad Rizvi, Associated Press social media after Wilders’
for incitement or threaten- announcement that he was
ing a terrorist crime against authorities seeking legal as- Islam. to 10 years for preparing a organizing a competition for
Wilders. sistance to serve subpoenas Last year, a former Pakistani terrorist attack on Wilders, cartoons of the Prophet Mu-
Rizvi also did not show up for on the two men were not cricketer, Khalid Latif, was who is sometimes called the hammad in 2018.
his trial. executed. sentenced to 12 years in Dutch Donald Trump. The planned contest
Neither of the men is be- They are the latest Dutch prison over allegations that In a statement to the court, sparked angry protests in
lieved to be in the country, trials for Muslims who have he had offered a reward for Wilders told judges of the im- Pakistan and elsewhere in
and Pakistan has no extra- threatened Wilders’ life, forc- the death of Wilders. Latif pact of the threats on his life, the Muslim world in 2018.
dition agreement with the ing him to live under around- also did not appear for trial. that has been lived under Physical depictions of the
Netherlands. Prosecutors the-clock police protection In 2019, a Pakistani man was intense security since 2004. prophet are forbidden in Is-
said in a statement that re- for nearly 20 years because arrested in the Netherlands, Two armed military police lam and deeply offensive to
quests they sent to Pakistani of his outspoken criticism of convicted and sentenced sat in court throughout the Muslims. q

Mexico finds the devil is in the details with laws against

gender-based attacks on women politicians

MEXICO CITY (AP) — In a a dangerous precedent, The court ruled last week family business (his brother up uncomfortable aspects
U.S. electoral campaign even though the losing that the comment violated now holds the Zacatecas of limits on free speech, or
punctuated by jibes about candidate belonged to his a Mexican electoral law state governorship that Ri- how one female can be
“childless cat ladies,” some own Morena party. that prohibits “slandering, cardo Monreal once held) accused of committing

might wish there were rules “We should be careful insulting or seeking to dis- could be legitimate points gender violence against
against mocking candi- about this,” López Obrador qualify a female candidate to make. It also brought another.q
dates just because of their said. “When insults, real or based on gender stereo-
gender. Mexico which just imagined, can be cause, types,” in this case, beliefs
elected its first female presi- or could be a cause, for that women succeed in
dent has such a law, but it overturning or nullifying a politics based on their hus-
turns out it’s not as easy as victory, that is something bands’ or fathers’ political
all that. else altogether.” power. It brings up obvious
The debate centers around The dispute arose after op- comparisons to U.S. politics,
a hard-fought race be- position Alessandra Rojo and the digs by Ohio Sen.
tween two female can- won a narrow victory over JD Vance, the Republican
didates for a Mexico City Morena’s Caty Monreal in Vice presidential candi-
borough presidency. An the race for the borough date, about “childless cat
electoral court overturned that includes downtown ladies” with allegedly no
an opposition candidate’s Mexico City. During the stake in America’s future.
victory, ruling that she had campaign, Rojo brought It is unclear whether that
committed “gender-based up the fact that Monreal’s could be perceived as a
political violence” against father, Ricardo Monreal, dig at Vice President Ka-
the losing, ruling-party can- is a leading Morena party mala Harris. But critics say Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador raises the
didate. Outgoing President politician, suggesting she the fact that Caty Monreal hand of Claudia Sheinbaum, the ruling party’s presidential
Andrés Manuel López Ob- may have been the candi- had little political experi- candidate, during a ceremony to give her the party’s command
rador suggested Monday date because of her dad’s ence or that her father ap- staff in Mexico City, Sept. 7, 2023.
the ruling could create influence. pears to treat politics as a Associated Press