THE HAGUE, 08/07/08 - MP Geert Wilders, who is facing prosecution in Jordan, is getting no moral support from Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen. The Dutch government considers that the MP has insulted the Jordanian population, it appears from a statement by Verhagen's ministry.

In the Netherlands, the Public Prosecutor's Office (OM) concluded last week that Wilders' anti-Islam film Fitna, published on 27 March, does not break the law in any way. But in Jordan, a prosecutor has launched criminal proceedings against the MP for Fitna. This follows a complaint by 30 organisations calling themselves The Messenger of Allah Unites Us.

According to Wilders, "little or nothing happens without the King's approval" in Jordan, such as "the fact that the Jordanian Public Prosecutor has decided to treat me to five charges including insulting the Prophet Mohammed."

But Verhagen sees it differently. "A judicial procedure was started against Wilders after a complaint by a private person," the statement by his ministry reads.

According to Tarek Hawamdeh, a lawyer for The Messenger of Allah Unites, "Wilders has been summonsed to appear in court" and "an arrest warrant will be issued via Interpol" if he does not report himself voluntarily before 15 July.

Verhagen seems to deny this: "There is no question of an arrest warrant or international wanted notice." He does however add that "expectations are that an official notification of the (Jordanian criminal) proceedings will be presented to the Netherlands" shortly "via the diplomatic route."

In an open letter printed in newspaper De Volkskrant last week, Wilders called the Jordanian king a "despot" and declared that "Jordan and its royal family have not yet emerged from the political and democratic phase of the Neanderthals."

Verhagen condemns Wilders' letter. "The Netherlands emphatically distances itself from the way in which MP Wilders has deemed it necessary to treat the Jordanian population and the Jordanian royal family."

If Wilders travels abroad, "the Netherlands will if necessary request diplomatic guarantees to prevent his possible deportation," according to Verhagen. He considers Wilders' criticism of Jordan "counter-productive, because it makes it more difficult to get (these) diplomatic guarantees."

The Dutch embassy in Jordan has had talks "at the highest level" with the authorities to clarify the possible consequences of the proceedings, according to Verhagen. Despite his criticism of Wilders, the minister claims that he does "want to defend Wilders' right to free speech."