Far-right politician Geert Wilders, cleared last night of inciting hatred against Muslims, says his acquittal is a victory for freedom of expression in the Netherlands.
The BBC reports the Freedom Party leader was charged in 2009 after comments he made describing Islam as "fascist" and comparing the Koran to Hitler's Mein Kampf.
Judge Marcel van Oosten ruled the comments were "acceptable within the context of public debate" and accepted they were directed at Islam and not at Muslims.
Outside the courtroom 47-year-old Wilders embraced his right to speak freely.
"Now the good news is that it's also legal to be critical about Islam, to speak publicly in a critical way about Islam and this is something that we need because the Islamisation of our societies is a major problem and a threat to our freedom and I'm allowed to say so."
He claims his comments were part of a legitimate public debate but minority groups told judges his remarks initiated a rise in discrimination and violence against Muslims.
Judge van Oosten said the bench found Wilders comments "gross and denigrating" but did not believe they had given rise to hatred.
Minority groups will consider taking their case to the European Court of Human Rights.
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