A trial began against Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders on Monday for inciting racial hatred against Moroccans – but with not a hair of the controversial politician in sight.

Wilders is being tried for racial discrimination and inciting hatred, after he led a 2014 party rally to call for “fewer, fewer” Moroccans in the Netherlands.

According to Dutch newspaper the Trouw, if he wins, his lawyer Geert-Jan Knoops wants to claim his costs from the ‘named parties’ – thought to be largely Dutch Moroccans – whose complaints and claims have brought the trial.

The paper claims that documents sent to the court last week calling for the compensation would cost up to €1,150 per person, or €46,000 – although the lawyer for one Dutch-Moroccan man who is claiming €500 told the paper “the chances that the judge will agree are probably zero.”

But Wilders has said that the trial is “a travesty”, posting on his Twitter feed late on Sunday night that “Islam is the real hate speech”.