I have had this ZGram on the back burner for some time, always thinking that I needed to set aside some time and space to give more coverage to the persecution of Revisionists in countries other than the USA, Canada and Germany. Today I send you a report from Spain, a country which for decades stood firm against the global censors but finally did cave in.
Pedro Varela, a Spanish book publisher and book store owner, was the first victim of the New Spanish Inquisition. We feature him on the Zundelsite's "Victims of Zion" document at http://www.zundelsite.org/english/debate/victims/index.html
Varela, former president of the Barcelona-based political Society "Friends of Europe" and publisher of the magazine "CEDADE" was sentenced under a new Spanish "hate" law on Nov.17, 1998, to five years in prison: 2 years for "holocaust denial" and 3 years for "spreading hatred and inciting violence".
Varela sold books, which documented the fact that far fewer Jews died in Auschwitz than previously assumed. He is not a militant and has not advocated use of violence - quite the contrary, Varela himself was a victim of numerous assassination attempts, was beaten severely and his bookshop went up in flames several times.
The inventory of Varela's bookstore included "The Diary of Anne Frank" and Karl Marx"s "Das Kapital" as well as another 232 titles unrelated to World War 2, revisionism, or topics relevant to the charges against him.
Even the presiding judge, Santiago Vidal, admitted in the hearings that the law was ambiguous regarding the charges against Pedro Varela.
Nevertheless, the same judge sentenced Varela to five years in prison and ordered the confiscated 20,972 books, 342 video tapes, 35 audio tapes and many other items, some out of Varela's private library, to be burnt!
Varela was interviewed by correspondent Roy A.A. Godenau on Dec. 10, 1998 at Varela's home in Barcelona. Here is Varela's account:
1) What is the text of the law, under which you were convicted?
"Two laws were used against me: the first was Article 607.2 (74 Penal Code 95), so called "supportive" genocide: spreading ideas and doctrines which deny or justify the destruction of a national, ethnic, racial or religious group. The second law, Article 510.1 (1996) prohibits provoking discrimination, incitement of racial hatred or violence against groups or associations on account of ideology or religion."
2) Who pressed charges against you?
"The Jewish community of Barcelona filed the charges, plus the Jewish club "ATID", plus "SOS Racism". The following organizations participated in the campaign against me: "Amical Mauthausen", "Catalonia-Israel Friends", "B'nai B'rith", "Baruch Spinoza Foundation", "Anti-Defamtion League", "Macabi Barcelona", "Gay-Lesbian League", etc. During the trial, Shimon Samuels of the Simon Wiesenthal Foundation was present (with body-guard) and Israeli TV, plus Carlos Benarroch of the Jewish club, as well as Gerardo Muchinik of the Israelite community."
3) How many years did the prosecution demand, according to which criteria? Which books?
"The public prosecutor asked for 4 years imprisonment. The Jewish and private associations demanded 20 years more (a total of 24 years!). The judge pointed out to these people that it would not be posssible to impose such Draconian punishment. The private accusers then "compromised" on a punishment of 8 years, plus the 4 years of the public prosecutor. In the verdict, the works of Harwood, Leuchter, and Honsik are included as primary evidence. Other books are cited, such as the "Protocols of Zion", "The International Jew" by Henry Ford and other books by former German leaders like Darre or Rosenberg. Also to be burned, in addition to the 21,000 books: Degrelle's memoirs, "Mein Kampf", and many harmless works having nothing to do with nationalist politics."
4) What do the Spanish people think of this verdict?
"In a poll conducted among the readers of the left-leaning, fanatically anti-Varela mass publication "El Periodico", 57% were for the punishment and 43% against: considering that this newspaper constantly bombards the public with hate and lies against me, this is a remarkably favorable result. Additionally, many intellectuals and journalists are strongly against any such suppression of press and media freedoms. Many persons on the street, including university professors, are not in favor of such rigid restriction of freedom of opinion."
5) Have you appealed the verdict? Do you plan to appeal to the European Court on Human Rights?
"Yes, immediately! This week (Dec. 10, 1998), an appeal of about 100 pages was filed. We will go as high as the law and our funds permit."
6) What are your further plans?
"We can do nothing more than defend the right to freedom of information. We will continue to sell books, until we are informed which books the "Grand Inquisitor" has included in his Index, the official existence of which the Spanish government vehemently denies!"
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Thought for the Day:
"This is, in theory, still a free country, but our politically correct, censorious times are such that many of us tremble to give vent to perfectly acceptable views for fear of condemnation. Freedom of speech is thereby imperilled, big questions go undebated, and great lies become accepted, unequivocally as great truths."
Simon Heffer, Daily Mail, June 7th 2000.