The trial of right-wing Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders has begun in an Amsterdam district court under tight security, with about 200 supporters gathered outside the courtroom.

Wilders, who is on 24-hour surveillance after receiving death threats, is standing trial on five counts of inciting hatred and discrimination against Muslims.

The charges are connected to comments to the press and his 2008 film "Fitna," which juxtaposes images of terrorist attacks with quotations from the Koran and accuses the Koran of inciting violence.

Wilders’ defense attorney Bram Moszkowicz disputed the court’s jurisdiction, claiming his client’s status as a politician merited a trial in the Supreme Court.

Moszkowicz also said Wilders "made all of his comments in the capacity as a member of parliament" and that it was his right to comment on developments in society.

Prosecutor Birgit van Roessel countered that claim, saying lawmakers enjoy immunity for their comments only while speaking in parliament and that "expressing his opinion in the media or through other channels is not part of an MP's duties."

Growing popularity

Wilders, 46, has compared Islam to fascism and the Koran to Adolf Hitler's "Mein Kampf."

His radically anti-Islamic statements have proved popular in recent years among Dutch voters, who have made his Party for Freedom the second-largest party in the European Parliament. Recent polls also suggest it may become the largest party in the Dutch Parliament after national elections in May 2011.

The success of Wilders' party suggests a Dutch electorate wary of the effect immigration from Muslim countries could have on the country's traditionally liberal and tolerant society.

Public prosecutors had originally declined to charge Wilders with any crime, claiming his public comments were protected under free speech.

But an appeals court last January ordered prosecutors to proceed with the charges, saying politicians should not be allowed to make "statements which create hate and grief."

If convicted in the Amsterdam court on all counts, Wilders faces more than a year in jail. Prosecutors, however, have not ruled out asking for an acquittal.

acb/AFP/Reuters

Editor: Susan Houlton