Holy Crap. The trial of Geert Wilders now has more stunning plot twists than a whole season of The Sopranos or Mad Men.First we were treated to the spectacle of the presiding judge, Jan Moors, clumsily slipping out of character long enough to make some sneering personally insulting remarks at Wilders during the first day of the second phase of the trial. This caused the trial itself to be suspended while an independent emergency hearing could be held to determine whether or not Moors had disqualified himself:
** "I will not take one word back."
** Wilders trial set to resume
Then last week the prosecution called for Wilders to be acquitted on all charges:
** The Prosecution of Geert Wilders Implodes.
But the biggest bombshell was saved for last. First off this week we had the bizarre, Kafka-esque continuation of the trial despite the total collapse of the prosecution. Then on Wednesday one of the expert witnesses who had already testified, Hans Jansen, revealed (in a blog entry) that a judge had approached him and attempted to influence his testimony!
On the basis of these new revelations, Wilders asked for a new trial, and this has been granted.
More:
- Geert Wilders hate speech trial collapses in Netherlands (Guardian)
- Geert Wilders trial faces restart after judges dismissed (Telegraph)
- Dutch retrial ordered for Wilders hate speech case (Associated Press)
- Dutch court orders retrial in anti-Islam hate speech case (Deutsche Welle)
- Netherlands court orders new judges in the trial of Geert Wilders (Al Jazeera)
- Judges in Wilders trial DISMISSED (Klein Verzet blog)
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