Austrian author guilty of glorifying Nazi era gets 5 years in jail

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF
A right-wing Austrian author was found guilty Monday of glorifying the Nazi era and sentenced to five years in prison. Appeals were lodged both by the defense lawyer of Gerd Honsik and by the public prosecutor, who found the sentence too mild. Honsik, 67, was found guilty of "Wiederbetaetigung," which means "re-engaging" in Nazi era beliefs. The crime is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Between 1986 and 1989, Honsik published writings disputing that the Nazis killed millions of Jews at Auschwitz and other concentration camps during World War II. Austrian authorities have said they suspect him of committing similar offenses since Austria enacted a landmark 1992 law making it a crime to deny the Holocaust or promote Nazi propaganda.