The government of the Canary Islands has ordered the expulsion of a Swedish citizen who is accused of leading a network there that distributes Nazi propaganda.
Diedlib Felderer is accused of spreading hate material throughout Europe from post office boxes in Arrecife, on the island of Lanzarote.
The Canary Islands constitute a region of Spain, but the expulsion order was made by the islands’ local government.
But the order could not be carried out immediately, as Felderer’s whereabouts were unknown.
He disappeared after his activities were denounced last December by the Simon Wiesenthal Center, and local authorities believe he might have left the island.
Shimon Samuels, the Wiesenthal Center’s European representative, said Felderer works through an organization called Deutsche Kulturhaus and uses several false names to disseminate the material, which includes Third Reich publications, films, records and Nazi paraphernalia.
Samuels asked the local authorities to cancel Felderer’s post office boxes and bank account in Las Palmas, the main city of the islands, on the grounds that the material could be considered obscene and therefore banned internationally.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
