Dutch man to appear in court for death threats to politicians

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AMSTERDAM (Reuters) -An 18-year old Dutch man is set to appear before a fast-track judge on Monday after he made death threats against two leaders of political parties ahead of a general election, Dutch prosecutors said on Friday.

The man, whose identity was not disclosed, wrote to a politician in a private message on Instagram that if he encountered him, “he would knock him out, drag him into a van, hang him, and cut him open,” the prosecutors said.

An investigation into his phone showed he had also threatened to kill another party leader on September 24, the prosecutors said.

Details about the party leaders were not disclosed to protect their privacy, they added.

Many politicians in the Netherlands have reported threats ahead of the October 29 election.

Earlier this week, another man was detained by the police over threats posted on TikTok.

Far right leader Geert Wilders, who has been living under tight security for over 20 years due to death threats, this month briefly suspended his campaign citing a new threat.

(Reporting by Inti Landauro and Charlotte Van Campenhout; Editing by Crispian Balmer)