In total, 20 people face charges for making threats and discriminatory comments against television presenter turned politician Sylvana Simons, the public prosecution department said on Friday.

Simons made a formal complaint about online threats in June after she announced that she was joining new political party Denk. At the end of November, a second wave of threats included a short video which was placed on social media showing Simons’ head superimposed on the body of a black American who had been lynched.

Since then, Simons, who has left Denk to set up her own party, has been under special police protection.

Some people will appear in front of magistrates in the next few months while others will be let off with a fine, chief public prosecutor Theo Hofstee told NPO Radio 1.