Belgian politician Dries Van Langenhove was sentenced on Tuesday to a year in jail and fined heavily for inciting violence and Holocaust denial.
Van Langenhove, 30, along with five others, faced charges including hatred, racism, Holocaust denial, and violating gun laws. A judge described him as someone who embraced Nazi ideas causing suffering and seeking to undermine society.
In addition to the jail time, Van Langenhove received a 10-year ban from public office, a 10-month suspended sentence, and various fines. His lawyer plans to appeal the verdict.
Initially gaining popularity by organizing online chat groups through the youth movement Schild & Vrienden (S&V), Van Langenhove entered Belgium’s parliament in 2019 with the right-wing political group Vlaams Belang, known for its anti-immigrant stance and advocating for Flanders’ independence.
Van Langenhove reacted to the sentence on Twitter, mocking the government for the resources spent on his case. He also initiated a crowdfunding campaign to cover the fines of S&V members, raising over €10,000 so far.
By FCCT Editorial Team
, an independent military force, and allied militias in Sudan raped several dozen women and girls in West Darfur’s capital, El Geneina, and those fleeing to Chad between late April and late June 2023, Human Rights Watch said today. The assailants appear to have targeted people because of their Massalit ethnicity and, in some cases, because they were known activists.){kind=link}