[[{“value”:”An activist who reportedly conduces a group that “promotes racist, cruel, Nazi, and negationist speech” was given a year in prison by a French court.
A judge alleged that 30-year-old Dries Van Langenhove “revelled in Nazi ideas that cause great suffering,” according to POLITICO.
The Ghent judicial court ruled on Tuesday morning that Dry Van Langenhove, a political activist and leader of the Flemish-nationalist youth movement Schild &, Vrienden, had been found guilty of inciting violence and denying the Holocaust.
Dries Van Langenhove, a previous Flemish parliamentarian, was given a year in prison for sharing allegedly racist memes in a private group chat he was a part of, according to Eva Vlaardingerbroek.
In Europe, this is the complete definition of free speech. They are incarcerating nationalist separatists. You or anyone who opposes the totalitarian regime will be the victims of this when they second do it to me. I’m completely lost for words below. We should use all of our might to combat this full-fledged tyranny, she continued.
Former Flemish parliamentarian Dries Van Langenhove @DVanLangenhove only received a year in prison for posting allegedly racist memes to a private group chat he was a part of.
In Europe, this is the complete definition of free speech. … image twitter.com/FGoLbrbxdD
— Eva Vlaardingerbroek ( @EvaVlaar ) March 12, 2024
I received a year’s effective prison sentence, 10 months ‘ suspended prison sentence, a €16, 000 effective fine, a €6, 000 suspended fine, compensation, and 10 years ‘ worth of civil rights, according to Van Langenhove, who sentenced me on Tuesday. I am no longer able to participate in politics.
” However, a years-long investigation, on which the Justice Department threw millions of dollars in taxpayers ‘ funds, shows that the S&, V activists cannot be held accountable for anything other than some memes. Humor. By the way, memes that I did n’t even post about myself. Therefore, S&, V is launching a crowdfunding campaign to raise money to pay Dries ‘ and the other activists ‘ fines,” he continued.
” You received a prison sentence after someone else sent this meme in a group chat”? Elon Musk posed a query.
” Yes. Van Langenhove responded, saying that even though the judge ( and the media ) acknowledged that I never sent any of these memes, he argued that I should have done more to stop others from sending them. He also referred to the memes as “hatespeech,” which is a crime in Belgium.
Yes. The judge ( and the media ) acknowledged that I never sent any of these memes, but he also argued that I should have done more to deter others from doing them, and he called the memes “hatespeech,” which is a crime in Belgium.
— Dries Van Langenhove ( @DVanLangenhove ) March 12, 2024
” In 2017, I founded @schildnvrienden, Belgium’s largest and most powerful political youth movement. It was removed from Online unwarranted a while after. We ( allegedly ) had a Discord chat with many hundreds of users and a Facebook group where someone said “post your edgiest meme.” The above-mentioned edgy memes were posted to this thread. I did n’t participate in any of the thread, Van Langenhove continued.
” Now, seven years later, I am the most prominent nationalist activist in Belgium and the Netherlands, and I am associated with the party that will win the upcoming Belgian elections. He continued,” The regime wants to shut us down, so they are using memes that other people posted seven years ago to put me in jail.”
More context @elonmusk
I founded the biggest and most powerful social youth movement in Belgium, @schildnvrienden, in 2017. It was unintentionally removed from Twitter a while afterwards.
We reportedly had a Discord chat with several hundreds of activists and a Facebook group with 900…
— Dries Van Langenhove ( @DVanLangenhove ) March 12, 2024
From POLITICO:
In the later 2010s, Vrienden, the leader of Schild &, established himself as a social prodigy by organizing radical young people’s activism in online chat groups and protests. A criminal investigation into the movement was triggered by a 2018 TV report from public broadcaster VRT that revealed members of the group exchanged racist and racist messages during group chats.
Van Langenhove ran for president in 2019 and served in the country’s national parliament from 2019 to 2023 as an independent member of the far-right group Vlaams Belang, the country’s major far-right party that opposes immigration and wants to make Flanders a fully separate, breakaway state.
Vlaams Belang is currently the biggest social force in Belgium, according to POLITICO’s Poll of Polls. In June 2024, elections are scheduled. Van Langenhove resigned from his seat in parliament in 2023 to concentrate on democratic activism.
Van Langenhove even lost access to a number of civil rights for a 10-year period, which included his being unable to run for office or run in elections. Additionally, he will be required to pay a 16 000 euro fine and receive a distinct, 10-month suspended prison sentence.”}]] [[{“value”:”
A Belgian court sentenced a Belgian activist to a year in prison for allegedly running an organization that spreads “racist hateful Nazi and negationist speeches.”
According to POLITICO a judge stated that Dries Van Langenhove, 30, “enjoyed Nazi ideas which cause much suffering.”
The Ghent Criminal Court ruled on Tuesday morning that “Dries van Langenhove was convicted for inciting violence and denying Holocaust, as a political activist, and leader of a Flemish nationalist youth movement named Schild & Vrienden,” according to the outlet.
Eva Vlaardingerbroek stated that “Former Flemish Parliamentarian Dries van Langenhove was just sentenced to a year in prison because allegedly ‘racist memes’ were shared within a private group chat of which he was part.”
“This is the absolute condition of freedom of expression in Europe.” They are jailing patriotic disidents. Next time, they’ll do it to me, you, or anyone else who opposes the globalist regime. I’m at a loss for words. “This is full-blown tyranny, and we should fight against it with all of our might,” she added.
Former Flemish parliamentarian Dries Van Langenhove @DVanLangenhove has just been sentenced to 1 year IN PRISON because supposedly “racist memes” were shared in a private group chat he was a part of.
This is the absolute state of freedom of speech in Europe…. pic.twitter.com/FGoLbrbxdD
— Eva Vlaardingerbroek (@EvaVlaar) March 12, 2024
Van Langenhove, who spoke Tuesday, said: “Today, I was sentenced for one year of effective imprisonment, 10 months suspended prison sentence and EUR16,000 in fines, EUR6,000 suspended fines, EUR10,000 compensation and 10 years loss of civil rights. This means that I am no longer allowed the participate in politics.”
“However, an investigation that lasted for years, and on which the Justice Department wasted millions in taxpayers’ dollars, shows that S&V activists are not guilty of anything more than memes. Humor. By the way, these are memes that I did not post myself. S&V has launched a crowdfunding campaign in order to pay Dries’ fines and those of the other activists,” continued he.
Elon Musk asked, “Someone sent this meme to a group chat. You were sentenced to prison?”
“Yes. “Yes. Even though the judge and the media admitted that I had never sent any memes, he said that I should have been doing more to prevent others from sending them, and he labeled these memes as ‘hatespeech,’ which is a punishable offence in Belgium,” Van Langenhove replied.
Yes. The answer is yes.
— Dries Van Langenhove (@DVanLangenhove) March 12, 2024
“I founded @schildnvrienden in 2017, the largest and most influential political youth group in Belgium. It was banned by Twitter without any reason a few months later. We (allegedly had) a FB group with 900 activist and a Discord Chat with hundreds of users, and in one of those groups, someone said post your edgiest me’. The edgy memes mentioned above were posted in this thread. Van Langenhove added, “A thread in which I did not participate.”
“Now, seven years later, I’m the leading nationalist in Belgium and the Netherlands, and I’m linked to the party which will win the upcoming elections in Belgium.” “The regime wants us to be shut down, so they use memes that others posted 7 years ago to put my in prison,” he continued.
More context @elonmusk
In 2017, I founded the largest and most influential political youth group in Belgium, @schildnvrienden. It was banned by Twitter a few months later, for no apparent reason.
We (allegedly had) a FB group with 900 activist and a Discord Chat with many hundreds…
— Dries Van Langenhove (@DVanLangenhove) March 12, 2024
From POLITICO
Schild & Vrienden’s leader rose to prominence as a political prodigy during the late 2010s. He organized far-right-minded youths in online chat groups and protests. VRT, the public broadcaster, reported in 2018 that members of Schild & Vrienden were exchanging racist and sexist messages on group chats. This led to a judicial inquiry into the movement.
Van Langenhove was elected in 2019 and served in the federal parliament of the country from 2019-2023. He is an independent member of the Vlaams Belang political group, Flanders’ main far-right, anti-immigrant party. It wants to turn Flanders fully independent and breakaway.
According to POLITICO’s Poll of Polls Vlaams Belang has now become the largest political force in Belgium. Elections are scheduled for June 2024. Van Langenhove resigned from his seat in the parliament in 2023 in order to focus on political activism.
Van Langenhove was also stripped of his civil rights for 10 years. During this time, he will not be able hold public office or run for election. He was also ordered to pay a fine of EUR16,000 and received a separate 10-month suspended prison sentence.
“}]]
