BRUSSELS – MPs Koen T’Sijen (Spirit) and Claude Marinower (Open VLD) want to have proposed legislation ready before the Easter break to make it possible to legally ban racist, xenophobic and terrorist groups.

They would like to debate the bill before the end of this term. If that is not possible, they would like to include the proposal in the government negotiations.

Belgian legislation currently has a lacuna with regard to these groups. As a result, a neo-Nazi organisation like Blood & Honour will be able to organise an SS commemoration on Saturday without worrying about legal repercussions. Last year various Blood & Honour events took place in Flanders, attended by as many as 2,000 Belgian and foreign neo-Nazis each time.

There is no provision in the law to ban these kinds of gatherings preventatively, and so Home Affairs Minister Patrick Dewael called on Parliament last year to draw up proposals for legislation. That has now been done.

The proposed bill is based on the law prohibiting private militias.

[Copyright Expatica News 2007]

Subject: Belgian news