Historian gets 3 years in prison for Holocaust denial

[Whaleboy]

IIRC he made the statement in 1989 in Austria, throughout the early 90's in Europe, and I believe he was returning to Austria recently to give a lecture, even though he was banned from the country. I may be wrong on that one, it's been at least 3 hours since Channel 4 news.

[Solomwi]

He had pleaded guilty to the charge, based on a speech and interview he gave in Austria in 1989.

Second sentence, Doc, but otherwise good point, and I agree on the broader issue.

Btw, to Deborah Lipstadt, Irving's nemesis.

Author and academic Deborah Lipstadt, who Irving unsuccessfully sued for libel in the UK in 2000 over claims that he was a Holocaust denier, said she was dismayed at the verdict.

"I am not happy when censorship wins, and I don't believe in winning battles via censorship... The way of fighting Holocaust deniers is with history and with truth," she told the BBC News website.

[Alexander's Horse]

Well done Austria

Irving has been giving an intellectual gloss and comfort to neo-nazis for years.

[OzzyKP]

[Kassiopeia]

Absurd sentence

[DanS]

Originally posted by Alexander's Horse
Well done Austria

Irving has been giving an intellectual gloss and comfort to neo-nazis for years.

Which changes when he goes to jail... how?

[Lorizael]

What I want to know is... did any Austrian newspapers republish the Danish cartoons, and what's the country's official stance on said cartoons?

[Donegeal]

Austria, and the Austrians have the right to make whatever stupid laws they want. to them for using that right. However, I'd give this particular law a big .

And i am very glad they waited until he returned to the country to serve the warrant.

It's not like Austria is trying to enforce a 'Holocaust Denial' law in other countries by, say, threatening people with suicide bombings and burning down embassies....

[Donegeal]

Oh yeah... the sentence is way overboard...

[alva]

Originally posted by Arrian
Ugh. It gets a from me. Sure, the guy's a jerkwad antisemite, but that alone shouldn't land him in jail.

And yeah, bad timing and stuff.

-Arrian

[Solomwi]

Originally posted by Lorizael
What I want to know is... did any Austrian newspapers republish the Danish cartoons, and what's the country's official stance on said cartoons?

Won't matter, I'm afraid. Even if Austria's position were that the cartoons are illegal and not to be published, the "Look, the West jails those who expose the Jews' lies!" soundbite would trump a more thorough explanation from a propaganda standpoint.

[Dr Strangelove]

Maybe he'll write a book about his struggles while he's in jail. He could give it a catchy title, something like "My Struggle", or "My War", only in German.

[Pekka]

Austria, even though he was a weird dude, that was just even weaker

[Berzerker]

But Karen Pollock, chief executive of the UK's Holocaust Educational Trust disagreed. "Holocaust denial is anti-Semitism dressed up as intellectual debate. It should be regarded as such and treated as such," Ms Pollock told the BBC News website.

Okay... easy fodder for smarter people to shoot down or an excuse to put someone in a cage for 3 years for having a stupid opinion? The guy even said he was wrong about Auschwitz so he's being punished for ignorance.

Freedom of speech
US Constitution

[Urban Ranger]

But Karen Pollock, chief executive of the UK's Holocaust Educational Trust disagreed. "Holocaust denial is anti-Semitism dressed up as intellectual debate. It should be regarded as such and treated as such," Ms Pollock told the BBC News website.

Last time I checked, being a racist, sexist, or other forms of bigot is not a crime.