Former Pakistani cricketer sentenced to 12 years in prison by Dutch court

After being prosecuted in absentia for inciting people to kill Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders, a former cricket player from Pakistan was sentenced to 12 years in prison by a Dutch court on Monday.

The court ruled on Monday that the 37-year-old Pakistani man, Khalid Latif, should be charged with incitement to murder and sedition. The court also said that Latif did not appear during the trial and he has not been imprisoned in the Netherlands.

Latif allegedly released a video in 2018, promising a reward for anyone killing Wilders, according to the prosecution. The video was made after Wilders announced he would host a competition to draw caricatures of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). Later, the contest was abandoned.

In Islam, depictions of the Prophet Muhammad are prohibited.

Latif earned a five-year suspension from cricket in 2017 due to a spot-fixing incident. At the Asian Games 2010, Latif, 37, led the Pakistani squad as captain.

Although he has never been in government, Wilders, 60, is one of Europe's most divisive far-right figures and has played a significant role in influencing the immigration debate in the Netherlands over the past 20 years. Since 2004, Wilders has always had police protection.