Sanctions Imposed on Belgian Far-Right Party

22/04/2004| IslamWeb

Belgium's far right Vlams Blok party may lose substantial state funding after a court convicted three of its associations of breaching anti-racism laws. The ruling agreed with complaints from human rights organisations that the groups were helping a party "engaged in and promoting discrimination and segregation". Each of the associations has been fined 12,400 euros. Vlams Blok leaders, who said they would appeal the decision, brought Belgium down to the level of "banana republic". The verdict could lead the party to being stripped of public funding, which is the only source of financing allowed for political organisations under Belgian law. Vlams Blok's popularity has been growing in recent years - in the 2003 general election it claimed 18 per cent of the vote.