Things are not going great for Pakistan Cricket on the field as well as off the field. After suffering a huge defeat against India in the Asia Cup, now Pakistan cricketer Khalid Latif has been sentenced to 12 years in prison. The Dutch court found Latif guilty of enticing murder.
A Dutch court on Monday sentenced former Pakistan international cricketer Khalid Latif to 12 years in prison for urging the murder of anti-Islam, far-right MP Geert Wilders. This was the statement read from the Cricket Australia website. For the uninitiated, Latif stood accused of offering a bounty of some 21000 Euros (USD 23000) to anyone willing to kill Wilders.
Latif also went absconding from the high-security courtroom near Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport for the trial. The former Pakistan cricketer was also not represented by a lawyer. Throughout the court trial, Latif was not recognized by his name, but the prosecutors said in a statement that a video posted online in 2018 showed a known Pakistani player offering money to kill Wilders.
“The court has now ruled that a long-term unconditional term of imprisonment is the only suitable punishment for these types of offenses,” a statement said.
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Khalid Latif: Victory for Wilders as Khalid Latif sentenced to 12 years prison
To note Dutch lawmaker Wilders has lived under heavy security protection for several years owing to repeated threats to his life ignited by his strong criticism of Islam. The alleged Bounty offer came after the Dutch lawmaker said he would organize a competition of cartoons of Prophet Muhammad, which many Muslims considered blasphemous. The competition did not go as planned, but Wilders received widespread hatred from the Muslim community.
An international warrant has been issued for Latif’s arrest. Dutch prosecutors have been behind the Pakistani cricketer since 2018, first as a witness, and then to answer charges. However, they said Pakistani authorities failed to respond.
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