March 1, 2005 - Ernst Zundel

Human Rights a Day

Holocaust-denier Ernst Zundel deported from Canada to prison in Germany. When Ernst Zundel turned 19 in 1958, he moved to Canada to avoid Germany’s military conscription. He married in 1960 and had two sons. While professionally a graphic artist and printer, he published racist and anti-Semitic views under the pseudonym Christof Friendrich. He became involved in politics and at the federal level actually became a candidate for the leadership of the Liberal Party of Canada in 1967 (Pierre Trudeau was chosen). By 1977, he’d started Samisdat Publishers, creating pamphlets such as “The Hitler We Loved and Why” and “Did Six Million Really Die?” Zundel attempted to get a better foothold as a Canadian and applied for citizenship. However, in 1993 the government denied his application and after many appeals, Zundel lost that fight in 2000. During this time, the Canadian Human Rights Commission received a complaint that Zundel’s website was inciting hatred against Jews. Between 1996 and the decision in 2002, and after more appeals and motions than most thought possible, Zundel was ordered to cease and desist with his illegal website commentary. In 2001, Zundel moved to the United States saying he’d never “set foot in Canada again.” However, when the United States deported Zundel back to Canada the following year for violating his stay there, the Canadian government declared him a threat to national security and sought to deport him to Germany, where he was wanted for hate crimes. Many considered this approach a backhanded way for the government to rid itself of Zundel. However, the Supreme Court refused his appeal and on March 1, 2005, Zundel was deported to Germany. On February 15, 2007, the German government found Zundel guilty of inciting racial hatred and sentenced him to the maximum of five years.

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