Dries Van Langenhove, the founder of the far-right movement Schild & Vrienden, has been sentenced to a one-year effective prison term for violations of the racism and negationism law.
The Ghent correctional court announced its sentence for Van Langenhove, a former MP for the Flemish far-right party Vlaams Belang. He has been given up to one year of effective imprisonment for violations of the racism and negationism law, including denying the Holocaust.
He also has to pay a €16,000 fine and loses ten years of his civil rights, taking away his right to vote, but also the right to be elected or hold public office. He was also handed down ten months of suspended imprisonment for violations of the weapons law. Van Langenhove was again not present at the hearing.
The final sentence is more lenient than what was initially requested by the prosecution (a two-year prison sentence and a fine of €24,000). However, the Ghent court judge used strong language in the sentencing, stating that the accused was “an instigator of racism and negationism.”
The judge also spoke of “criminal behaviour” and contributing to hate speech and violence. “He creates a hostile atmosphere in society. He contributes to antagonism, discord and conflict and thus fosters physical and psychological violence. All this points to a particularly dangerous mindset.”
