The Court of Appeal in Liège has upheld the convictions of seven people, including three former candidates of the far-right party Nation, for inciting hatred, violence, and discrimination on social media.
The convicted individuals, Leticia Knevels, Sarah Dumalin, and Corinne Dupont, were candidates in the 2018 regional and federal elections for Nation. They later left the party and founded the “Liège Identitarian Collective,” which was subsequently renamed “National Values,” an association.
Federal police flagged problematic posts on the association’s Facebook page in 2020 and 2021. The content, which included posts by the founders and reactions from followers, reportedly targeted foreigners and migrants with remarks deemed racist.
Although the association claimed its mission was to help the underprivileged, the public prosecutor accused it of concealing incitement to hatred behind seemingly innocuous rhetoric.
The court upheld the sentences handed to the defendants. Leticia Knevels received 100 hours of community service, while Sarah Dumalin was sentenced to 50 hours of community service. Corinne Dupont’s suspended prison sentence was converted into an 18-month probation. The remaining four individuals were given suspended sentences and community service.
