The two men were tried in absentia as Pakistan did not force them to appear at the high-security trial as requested by the Netherland

SCHIPHOL, Netherlands (AP) — A Dutch court convicted two Pakistani religious and political leaders in their absence Monday over calls to their followers to murder anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders, the leader of the Party for Freedom that won last year’s general election in the Netherlands.

Wilders, whose party joined government for the first time this year after a clear election victory, has lived under tight security for the past 20 years due to death threats.

Dutch court convicts in absentia two Pakistani political leaders of making calls for the murder of right-wing leader Geert Wilders.

Two Pakistani nationals who publicly called for the assassination of far-right lawmaker Geert Wilders were sentenced in absentia to a combined 18 years in prison by a Dutch court.

Two Pakistani religious leaders were convicted by judges at The Hague District Court on Monday for making death threats against far-right politician Geert Wilders. Muhammad Ashraf Asif Jalali was sentenced to 14 years in prison,