An ailing 67-year-old Austrian convicted of Holocaust denial must serve 18 months in prison.
The sentence meted out by an Austrian court to Gerd Honsik was the first of its kind since 1992, despite the defendant’s age and kidney disorder.
Honsik published books between 1986 and 1989 disputing Holocaust death figures and casting doubt on the existence of the Nazi gas chambers. One of his books was titled “Acquittal for Hitler?”
Holocaust denial is a crime in Austria and several other European countries.
Honsik, an Austria native, fled to Spain after his conviction and was extradited in October.
Austrian prosecutors are seeking to increase his jail sentences, as Honsik published neo-Nazi material while living in Spain.
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