AMSTERDAM, 20/04/08 - MP Geert Wilders has to pay compensation to rap singer Abid Tounssi. In his anti Islam film Fitna, Wilders mistakenly used a picture of the Moroccan.
On an album cover, Tounssi, who goes under the artist name Salah Edin, had himself pictured as Mohammed Bouyeri. It was his way of honouring the terrorist who in 2004 murdered Islam critic Theo van Gogh in a brutal manner in an Amsterdam street.
Due to the strong resemblance, Wilders mistakenly used the picture of Tounssi in his film Fitna when he intended to show Bouyeri. As soon as he had discovered the mistake, Wilders replaced the photograph of Tounssi for one of Bouyeri. Tounssi nevertheless instigated legal proceedings for compensation.
To some extent, Tounssi got his way. A court in Amsterdam has decided that Wilders must pay him 3,000 euros. The rapper had demanded 25,000 euros.
The initial version of Fitna with the photograph of the singer will continue to crop up on the internet. The judge therefore felt that Tounssi had a point. The compensation sum of 25,000 euros will not be granted however, because in posing as Bouyeri, Tounssi was himself responsible for the mistake. Furthermore, Wilders' mistake provided the relatively unknown singer with a great deal of publicity, which he could turn to his advantage commercially, as the court reasoned.
Photographer Ilja Meefout, who made Tounssi's Bouyeri portrait, received 5000 euros in compensation from Wilders. This was in settlement of an infringement of copyright.
Source:
NIS News
PVV leader Geert Wilders wants Mohammed Bouyeri, the murderer of Theo van Gogh as a witness in his upcoming trial.
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