Justice Minister Hans-Jochen Vogel announced today that he is preparing strong measures to combat the spread of Nazi propaganda in West Germany. He told reporters at a press conference that his ministry is presently drafting a series of amendments that will put teeth into existing laws.
Vogel specified the principal measures to be taken and how they will work. The import of Nazi propaganda material would be banned under one of the proposed amendments. Although most such material is now brought in from abroad, existing laws prohibit only its display. Another amendment would outlaw Nazi material from the period preceding the establishment of the Federal Republic in 1949. Existing laws ban###only material produced after that date, leagel noted.
Finally, he said, the law should explicitly prohibit propaganda aimed at playing down Nazi war crimes or denying that the Holocaust ever took place. Proposed amendments would allow state prosecutors to initiate cases against persons spreading the so called “Auschwitz lies.” Under the present law, only individual victims of Nazi war crimes can bring suit against such persons.
Vogel said that the ruling Social Democratic Party (SPD) has reached agreement with its coalition partner, the Free Democrats, on the first two issues. He said he was confident that agreement would be reached eventually on the third.
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