--Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders is due to appear in an Amsterdam court on Wednesday on charges of religious insult and anti-Islam incitement.
The prosecution claims his 2008 short film "Fitna", as well as statements made in interviews and speeches, incite hatred against Muslims. Wilders has called Islam a "backward" culture and compared the Quran to Adolf Hitler's book "Mein Kampf".
The politician and lawmaker claims his trial is "political" and says any statements he made fell under the right to freedom of expression.
His campaigning against the spread of Islam and the alleged "islamization" of the Netherlands has won Wilders growing popularity in his home country.
Critics warn that Wilders could use the trial to depict himself as a martyr, which could bring him even more political support. The maximum sentence he faces is 16 months in prison and a fine of up to 10,000 euros ($14,000).
