Dutch cartoonist arrested on suspicion of violating hate speech laws – International Herald Tribune

Posted on May 16th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Misc. News.

Dutch cartoonist arrested on suspicion of violating hate speech laws – International Herald Tribune

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands: A Dutch political cartoonist was arrested this week on suspicion of insulting people because of their race or religion through his work, authorities said Friday.The cartoonist, who works under the pseudonym Gregorius Nekschot, was arrested Tuesday on suspicion of violating hate speech laws and held overnight before being released, a spokeswoman for his publisher Uitgeverij Xtra said.

“He was arrested with a great show of force, by around 10 policemen,” the spokeswoman said.

She asked that her name not be used, and declined to give Nekschot’s real name, because the cartoonist and publisher have both received death threats.

Nekschot is known primarily for cartoons mocking Muslims and leftists, though the spokeswoman said he is a satirist who targets “any strong ideology.”

Amsterdam public prosecutor spokeswoman Sanne van Meteren said Nekschot remains a suspect in a criminal investigation.

“We suspect him of insulting people on the basis of their race or belief, and possibly also of inciting hate,” she said.

Each is a crime punishable by up to a year in prison under Dutch hate speech laws — or two years for multiple offenses.

Nekschot publishes primarily on several Web sites, including his own, but has also been featured on the Web site of Theo van Gogh, the filmmaker who was murdered by a Muslim radical in November 2004.

The cartoonist also works for HP/De Tijd, a major Dutch language weekly news magazine, and he has published two books.

One recent cartoon on his web site caricatured a Christian fundamentalist and Muslim fundamentalist as zombies who met at an anti-gay rally and now wished to marry.

Van Meteren said prosecutors were investigating a complaint that dated from 2005. They are now focusing on eight or nine published cartoons, she said, but prosecutors are not disclosing which ones.

Nekschot did not answer police questions during his arrest, she said, appealing to his right to remain silent to avoid self-incrimination.

The spokeswoman for Xtra said police had seized Nekschot’s computer, sketches, CDs, DVDs and telephone at the time of his arrest.

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Protected: nrc.nl – Kunst & Film – Cartoonist aangehouden wegens discriminatie

Posted on May 16th, 2008 by martijn.
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Danish cartoonist: Dutch politician should air his anti-Quran film – de Volkskrant

Posted on March 10th, 2008 by martijn.
Categories: Misc. News, Public Islam.

Danish cartoonist: Dutch politician should air his anti-Quran film – Binnenland – de Volkskrant

In the Dutch daily newspaper Volkskrant an interview with Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard by Nanda Troost, about his predicaments after the recent death threats and the Fitna movie by Dutch politician Geert Wilders.

Read the Dutch version HERE

The english version HERE

ÅRHUS – Dutch politician Geert Wilders should definitely air his anti-Quranfilm, Danish cartoonist Kurt Westergaard says Monday in an exclusive interview in the Dutch newspaper ‘de Volkskrant’. (more…)

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