Gerald Frederick Töben, 64, who was en route from the US to Dubai when he was seized, was sentenced to nine months in prison in 1999 by a German court under a law that prohibits "defaming the dead".
He was held under a German arrest warrant, issued in 2004, which alleges that he had carried out "worldwide internet publication" of material that was antisemitic, and denied, approved or played down the mass murder of Jews perpetrated by the Nazis during the second world war. The warrant stated that he had committed the offences in "Australia, Germany and other countries". Guardian Report: Read more
Holocaust key to extradition case: BBC ReportMan Accused of Holocaust Denial: BBC Report
Toben was one of the surprise contributors to a conference I attended in Jakarta in May to mark the 60th anniversary of the Palestinian Nakba. His presentation was eccentric, rambling and embarrassing. I empathised with the Jewish participants who were as appalled as I was. It contributed nothing to understanding either the causes of the Arab-Israeli conflict nor how to resolve it peacefully. He was shunned, at least by those contributors I spoke with afterwards. His participation was in my opinion a major error on the part of the organisers.
Holocaust denial has no place what so ever in contemporary political, social or religious discourse. Good resources are to be found here and here.
A recent gathering of Nazi sympathisers at a pub in Redhill, Somerset, is also to be deeply deplored. See here for the BBC Report
