Netherlands: court rules that FvD politician is no longer allowed to compare the corona policy with the Holocaust and has to delete tweets in which he makes those comparisons

17 comments

  1. Google translate:

    Judge: Baudet must remove comparison corona policy with Holocaust from Twitter

    Thierry Baudet (Forum for Democracy) has to remove a number of messages on social media in which he compares the corona measures with the Holocaust and the run-up to it. He will also be banned from using images of the Holocaust in the context of the debate about the corona measures.The preliminary relief judge ruled this in summary proceedings brought by two Jewish interest groups, the CIDI and the Central Jewish Consultation Committee (CJO) and four Jewish war survivors. The FvD leader receives a penalty of 25,000 euros per day or each time the prohibitions are violated.The judge says that Baudet’s statements are not aimed at downplaying the Holocaust, but as criticism of the corona policy. “But by making a comparison between the corona policy and the persecution of the Jews, which are disproportionate to each other, the fate of the Jews is implicitly downplayed.”

    According to the judge, Baudet is guilty of creating a breeding ground for anti-Semitism. That was also the main argument of the lawyer of the Jewish organizations, Jacqueline Schaap. “Thanks to Baudet’s statements, the Holocaust becomes something with which you can make comparisons. That ignores the unique character of the Holocaust and makes it seem less bad.””Not being allowed into a bar because of a personal choice – not a vaccination – is not like killing a million people just because of who they are,” said Ronny Naftaniel of the CJO.

    Baudet’s lawyer, Gerard Spong, said during the hearing that the statements were taken out of context. They are intended as “general warnings that exclusion of the unvaccinated can lead to”. Moreover, the comparisons are about the run-up to the Holocaust and not about the genocide itself, says Spong.In addition, the lawyer said that the Jewish organizations seem to be claiming the “exclusive right of comparisons to Holocaust.” In addition, comparisons have also been made by Jewish people between the corona policy and what happened in Nazi Germany, the defense says.Freedom of speechThe judge emphasized that although a politician enjoys a wide freedom of expression, that freedom is not unlimited. “Duties and responsibilities are associated with this. Expressions that are unnecessarily offensive must be avoided” and Baudet did not do that sufficiently, the judge ruled.During the session, two war survivors present emotionally told how Baudet’s statements hurt them. “Not a day goes by where we don’t talk about the war,” said Mattie Tugendhaft, whose wife survived the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. He himself was mistreated at a hiding place.Tugendhaft: “And then we see Baudet’s words again and again in the news. We don’t sleep at night and then say to each other: does this really have to go on like this?”Baudet said, after hearing the testimonies, that it was not his intention to hurt people.AppealImmediately after the verdict, Baudet said he would appeal. He calls the verdict a “totally hallucinatory statement”, because in his view freedom of expression is restricted.

  4. What’s the basis of this, is it hate speech? Like yeah, it’s fucking dumb as shit, but how is it illegal?

  5. “Has to delete tweets”? Is it written so in the conviction? In Turkey judges cannot give off arbitrary punishment not written in the law.

  7. He shouldn’t pay,nor delete twits,transfer anything that’s on his name to family members,and than wait for state to come to arest him,because he cant pay the fine.let’s see how much state is willing to go.

  9. It’s always the same crowd. First they deny the holocaust and then they say that Covid restrictions are as bad as the holocaust …

    Too dumb to be consistent!

  10. He knows he shouldn’t be saying shit like that.

    He knows even better you can just get away with it if you undo it when told by a judge.

  12. WW2 comparisons are literally daily business for left wing European papers talking about migration but somehow now it’s morally wrong

  17. I would wish they did the same with vegan activists. Just yesterday I saw a billboard that compared christmas geese slaughtering to the Holocaust, crematory chimneys and all. It’s very distasteful and lacks respect.

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