Dries Van Langenhove, a former member of the Vlaams Belang party, has been sentenced to one year of effective imprisonment for violating racism and denial laws, along with an additional ten months suspended for illegal weapon possession.

In the original ruling, the Ghent court also imposed a ten-year disqualification from public rights and a fine of €24,000 on Van Langenhove.

The prosecutor highlighted the lack of remorse shown by Van Langenhove and his co-defendants, urging the court to uphold the initial sentences without hesitation.

Six other defendants in the case faced similar charges related to racism and denial laws, receiving varying sentences that included suspended prison terms and fines.

The trial has garnered significant attention, notably due to controversies such as Van Langenhove's lawyer appearing in court wearing a kippa.

A year prior, the correctional court of Ghent had already sentenced Van Langenhove to one year in prison for similar violations.

In addition to the one-year sentence for racism and denialism, Van Langenhove received a suspended sentence of ten months for illegal possession of weapons.

On March 28, 2025, the public prosecutor requested that the Ghent Court of Appeal confirm the initial ruling in the Schild & Vrienden case during an appeal hearing.