In a decisive ruling by the Ghent criminal court on Tuesday morning, Dries Van Langenhove, a prominent figure in the Belgian far-right, was sentenced to a year in prison and issued a hefty fine.
The court found him guilty of inciting violence and denying the Holocaust, marking a significant blow to the controversial leader and his nationalist youth movement, Schild & Vrienden.
Van Langenhove, known for his far-right activism and leadership of Schild & Vrienden, faced trial alongside six other members of his movement on various charges, including hatred, racism, Holocaust denial, and breaching local gun laws.
While five of his cohorts received suspended prison sentences, the 30-year-old leader was not spared a harsher punishment.
During the trial, the judge delivered a scathing assessment of Van Langenhove, accusing him of embracing Nazi ideologies that inflict immense suffering and seeking to destabilize society.
This condemnation underscores the severity of the charges and the court’s determination to address extremist rhetoric and actions.
The rise of Van Langenhove as a political figure in the late 2010s was marked by his adept organization of far-right youth through online forums and protests.
However, his notoriety peaked following a 2018 TV exposé by public broadcaster VRT, which revealed disturbing exchanges of racist and antisemitic messages among Schild & Vrienden members, prompting a judicial inquiry.
Despite his legal troubles, Van Langenhove managed to secure a seat in Belgium’s federal parliament in 2019, aligning himself with Vlaams Belang, the country’s leading far-right party known for its anti-immigrant stance and separatist aspirations for Flanders.
However, his tenure in parliament was short-lived, as he departed in 2023 to refocus on his activism.
The court’s verdict not only imposes a year-long prison sentence and a significant financial penalty on Van Langenhove but also entails a ten-year suspension of certain civil rights.
This includes his disqualification from holding public office or participating in elections, signalling a severe blow to his political ambitions.
Van Langenhove’s lawyer has indicated plans to appeal the ruling, denouncing the trial as politically motivated.
This sentiment was echoed by Tom Van Grieken, leader of Vlaams Belang, who criticized the judicial process as tainted by political bias.
However, the judgment has been hailed by human rights advocates, including Belgium’s Human Rights League, as a pivotal moment in combating extremism and upholding the values of tolerance and inclusivity.
The organization’s lawyer emphasized the significance of the ruling as a clear message against hate speech and discriminatory behaviour.
As Belgium prepares for upcoming elections in June 2024, the sentencing of Dries Van Langenhove serves as a stark reminder of the challenges posed by far-right ideologies and the imperative for robust legal measures to counteract them.
In the pursuit of justice and safeguarding democratic principles, the repercussions of this landmark verdict resonate far beyond the courtroom.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members
