The case involving the far-right student movement Schild & Vrienden, founded by former Vlaams Belang MP Dries Van Langenhove, will be reviewed on 28 February, the Ghent Court of Appeal decided on Friday.
Dries Van Langenhove and several of his associates face charges of racism and Holocaust denial.
Hans Rieder, lawyer for the main defendant, had contested the composition of the bench, claiming the three appellate judges were not lawfully appointed. Despite this, he confirmed he would appear before the court "under reservation" and did not file a recusal request as he had during the first trial.
The investigation into Schild & Vrienden began following a VRT documentary aired in late 2018, which showed members exchanging racist, anti-Semitic, sexist, and violence-promoting messages on private discussion forums.
On 12 March, the correctional tribunal sentenced Dries Van Langenhove to one year in prison for racism and Holocaust denial. He also received a ten-month suspended sentence for violations of the weapons law, a ten-year civic rights deprivation, and a €24,000 fine.
His deputy was given an eight-month suspended sentence and an €8,000 fine. Four other defendants received six-month suspended sentences and €8,000 fines. The final defendant was granted a conditional suspension, including a mandatory guided tour of the Dossin Barracks in Mechelen.
