November 09, 2005
Holocaust denier Ernst Zündel has gone on trial in Germany on charges of incitement to hatred and insulting and denigrating the memory of the dead. Zündel, 66, a native of Germany, was deported to Berlin by Canadian authorities last March. He had left Germany in 1958, allegedly to avoid military service. According to the German court, Zündel continues to spread lies about the Holocaust and anti-Semitic material through the Internet. He faces a maximum charge of five years in prison for each charge of incitement. The first day of the trial brought a surprise as Zündel's attorney was suspended by the court for nominating Horst Mahler, a leading member of the neo-Nazi party NPD, as her deputy. Mahler, who is a lawyer, was not recognized by the court as he is currently banned from pleading in court.
