Holocaust denier David Irving freed from prison

An Austrian court of appeals agreed to allow convicted British Holocaust denier David Irving to serve the remainder of his jail sentence on probation. Irving has been released and wants to travel to Britain. Michael Simoner criticises the decision because, after his trial and conviction, Irving had repeated his doubts about the Third Reich's organised mass extermination of Jewish people. "Maybe we should just be happy to be rid of this icon to Holocaust deniers. The unexpected (and controversial) mitigation of the sentence leaves a bad aftertaste. Austria's Holocaust denial law is in danger of being undermined by lenient sentencing. Hitler salutes and the Horst-Wessel song have become harmless crimes. In future it will be more difficult to apply laws against the reactivation of Nazi activities in Austria."

» full article (external link, German)
More from the press review on the subject » History, » Austria
All available articles from » Michael Simoner

» To the complete press review of Thursday, December 21, 2006