The Criminal Court in the East Flemish city of Ghent has sentenced the former federal MP Dries Van Langenhove to 1 year’s imprisonment for breaches of the racism and negationism law. The founder of Schild & Vrienden, a far-right, conservative nationalist youth movement, was also given a 10-month suspended prison sentence after also having been found guilty of breaches of the law on the possession of weapons. Mr Van Langenhove's civil rights have also been revoked for a period of 10 years and he has been fined a total of 16,000 euro.
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Former MP given 1-year prison sentence
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In September 2018 a criminal investigation was launched after the VRT documentary programme Pano revealed that members of Schild & Vrienden shared racist and anti-Semitic messages in members-only chat rooms. In June 2019 Dries Van Langenhove was officially charged. Initially he was not charged with negationism. However, two civil parties appealled and the Indictment Chamber decided that he should stand trial at the criminal court on charges of having breached the laws on racism and negationism and the possession of weapons.
Other members of group also convicted
Six other suspects also stood trail on racism charges. Mr Van Langenhove's right-hand man was given an eight-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of 8,000 euro. Four other defendants were given a six-month suspended prison sentence and a fine of 8,000 euros, half of which suspended. Another defendant received a conditional discharge, one of the conditions being an escorted visit to Kazerne Dossin in Mechelen.
“He drew others into his racist, hateful, Nazi and negationist discourse”
In summing up the trial judge said that the following elements were taken into account in determining the sentence. "Dries Van Langenhove is the initiator, founder, organiser and leader of Schild & Vrienden. He drew the other defendants into his racist, hateful, Nazi and negationist discourse that he used to pit people against each other. He displayed a far-reaching lack of norms and a disdain for fundamental values and rights. He creates a hostile atmosphere in society. He encourages antagonism, discord and conflict and as such fosters physical and psychological violence."