FED: Holocaust historian "victim of German trap"

AAP General News (Australia)
04-09-1999
FED: Holocaust historian "victim of German trap"

By Sherrill Nixon and Trevor Marshallsea

ADELAIDE, April 9 AAP - Controversial Australian historian Fredrick Toben, who has been
arrested in Germany for disputing the holocaust, was the victim of a trap set by German
authorities, one of Dr Toben's associates said today.

David Brockschmidt, a member of the Adelaide Institute of which Dr Toben is the director,
said Germany had breached free speech rights under its constitution and a United Nations
charter by making the arrest.

He said Dr Toben was arrested yesterday while outlining his research into whether the
holocaust took place to a German government prosecutor in Mannheim.

Dr Toben had arranged to speak to the prosecutor, Heiko Klein, after spending two months
conducting research in Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic and the Ukraine, Mr Brockschmidt
said.

But he said an undercover police officer from the Staatschutz, or political police, was
present during the conversation and arrested Dr Toben on the grounds he had "defamed the
memory of the dead".

The charge also related to Dr Toben's controversial views about the holocaust expressed on
the Adelaide Institute's website and through its newsletters.

"The Germans must have been waiting for him, it was a trap, he was set up," Mr Brockschmidt
told AAP.

"The big question mark is whether German law should apply to Australia or anywhere else.

"You publish something in another country, you enter this country and bang, you could be
done for it. It doesn't matter if what you say is historical fact.

"They are totally neurotic and I would say completely off the rocker ... he was just trying
to put the case; that's enough in Germany to put you behind bars."

Mr Brockschmidt said he expected Dr Toben would be sentenced to prison over the charge,
which will be heard by a judge today.

He said he had been refused access to Dr Toben yesterday when he tried to telephone
him at the Mannheim Prison.

A spokeswoman at the prison confirmed the prison was dealing with Dr Toben's case, but
would not provide details.

"I cannot comment on this matter. Only our director can comment. Call back tomorrow," the
spokeswoman told AAP last night.

Fellow holocaust revisionist, well known British historian David Irving, said he was
disgusted by the action of German authorities.

"I'm outraged at what is another of the German government's continuing outrages against
free speech," Dr Irving told AAP.

"This is a global epidemic in which the Australian government is now a party."

Dr Irving also said he was preparing another attempt to be allowed into Australia. He
intended to travel to the country next year.

AAP sn/kr

KEYWORD: GERMANY TOBEN LEAD

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