16. 02. 10. - 15:00

High Court confirms Holocaust denier Honsik's conviction

The Austrian High Court (OGH) has confirmed Holocaust denier Gerd Honsik’s conviction for spreading Nazi ideology.

It emerged today (Tues) that the conviction had been confirmed in a private session several weeks ago.

Vienna Appellate Court (OLG) will issue a ruling on 1 March on the question of whether his five-year sentence is long enough, OLG spokesman Raimund Wurzer said yesterday. Both the public prosecutor and Honsik have appealed the length of the sentence.

Honsik, then 68, was found guilty on 28 counts of breaking laws prohibiting activities supporting the Nazi regime by Vienna Criminal Court last April.

In 1992, Honsik was convicted of breaking laws against spreading Nazi ideology in his book "Freispruch für Hitler?" (Acquittal for Hitler?) and sentenced to a year and a half in prison.

But he fled to Spain, where he gained a reputation as a leading extreme right-wing publicist.

Austrian public prosecutors claimed Honsik used his journal "Halt" (Stop), books and the internet in Spain to promote and publicise Nazi ideology.

Honsik was arrested in 2007 near Malaga, Spain on an international warrant and extradited to Austria.

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• Simon London wrote on 02. 03. 2010 from London

  This disgraceful persecution shames Austria, demonstrates who is in control, and reminds us what they fear most - free expression and open debate.

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• Tom Williams wrote on 21. 02. 2010 from Alberta, Canada

  How can an advanced country like Austria jail citizens for expressing viewpoints on religion, politics, or history, no matter how unpopular? The Canadian Supreme Court in 1992 said citizens have a legal right to express unpopular viewpoints. Why dosn't the Austrian Supreme Court hear arguements and make a decision whether Austrian citizens have similar rights?

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