Amnesty International calls Wilders victory a loss for human rights

Geert Wilders’ victory in the Dutch parliamentary election on Wednesday is a loss for human rights, Amnesty International said in a response. “A racist party has won the Dutch elections. A party that dismisses specific population groups by labeling them as inferior,” the human rights organization said.

Amnesty International pointed out that the PVV election manifesto undermines the rule of law and constitution. The Dutch Bar Association warned of several planned policies that violate the Dutch rule of law and international treaties. Proposals to ban Islamic schools, mosques, and the Koran and to not take in any asylum seekers are among them. Amnesty International described the PVV as “a party that abandons people on the run.”

During the campaign, Wilders promised to put his anti-Islam rhetoric “on hold” in order to cooperate with other parties in the government. Amnesty International is unconvinced. “We continue to fight for human rights. For everyone. Always,” the human rights organization said.

Islamic and Moroccan organizations are also very worried about what the future holds. "The distress and fear are very great," Habib el Kaddouri of the Dutch-Moroccan association SMN said on Wednesday after the first exit polls. "Everyone is talking about social security, but I don't know if we still have it."

Humanitas, a volunteer organization that works with volunteers to assist people who need help with their finances and other issues, also pointed out that social security is about more than making ends meet. “It is also about freedom, safety, and the knowledge that you can belong,” director Jerzy Soetekouw said to ANP.

According to Soetekouw, his volunteers and the people they assist are “very concerned.” Especially people with a bicultural background. They wonder “whether they still belong in the Netherlands,” he said.

Despite his party also winning significantly in the election, GroenLinks-PvdA leader Frans Timmermans was distraught by the results. He urged Netherlands residents to be there for each other. “Now the time has come for us to defend democracy,” he said in an emotional speech. “If you meet someone who wonders after tonight: do I still belong here?” Then say ‘yes’ very clearly!”