Nazi ideology - Holocaust denial trial's conclusion draws near.
During the trial of Holocaust denier Ursula Haverbeck in Hamburg, a decision may be made on June 26th. The initial evidence collection process concluded on a Wednesday, followed by a day dedicated to presentations and judgment. The 94-year-old, with a widespread following among right-wing groups, had been given a 10-month prison sentence by a court in 2015 without the option of probation. She had appealed against this ruling. The trial followed several postponements, occurring nine years later. The Public Prosecutor's Office in Hamburg accuses Haverbeck of hate speech in two separate cases, and she is said to have told journalists at the end of the Lüneburg trial against former SS member Oskar Gröning that Auschwitz was a work camp rather than an extermination center. In a TV interview with the NDR magazine "Panorama," she also denied that a mass killing occurred at the site. Historians estimate that the Nazis killed over a million people just in Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.
The Public Prosecutor's Office in Hamburg accuses Haverbeck of incitement to hatred in two circumstances. She is reported to have told journalists at the conclusion of the Lüneburg trial against former SS member Oskar Gröning that Auschwitz wasn't an extermination camp, but instead a labor camp. Additionally, she denied that there was a mass murder at the location in a TV interview with the NDR magazine "Panorama." Historians estimate that the Nazis killed at least 1.1 million people in Auschwitz-Birkenau alone.
A physician from the legal medical service was present to assist Haverbeck in her wheelchair. The 94-year-old had initially stated that the long trip to Hamburg was too difficult for her to make so frequently. The presiding judge suggested that the trial could conclude that day, but this plan quickly unraveled. The defense attorney submitted several new applications for the court to consider. He sought, among other objectives, to have the prior evidence collection repeated because Haverbeck couldn't comprehend it due to her hearing issues. All petitions were denied.
In the courtroom, a few supporters of the accused were in attendance, causing disruptions with interruptions. The judge warned, "Anyone who disrupts, I will have them removed from the room." Several police vehicles were stationed outside the courthouse due to the trial.
"I have never denied the Holocaust," Haverbeck declared at the first hearing. Only inquiring, she clarified. The presiding judge then highlighted that the statements in the TV reports weren't inquiries, but factual statements. When inquired about her stance on her previous assertions, the accused repeated a statement. On the second day of the trial, Haverbeck reiterated that she had been persecuted for many years for simply asking questions and expressing doubt.
Ultimately, the accused was expected to narrate her life story. In response to questions from the presiding judge regarding whether it was accurate that the accused was a member of the Hitler Youth and that her late husband was a devoted National Socialist, Haverbeck didn't provide detailed information. Instead, she talked openly about her deep affection for nature, her studies in pedagogy, politics, and philosophy, and her four-year experience working in Sweden.
Previously, Haverbeck was convicted and fined in 2004. In recent years, she has received prison sentences without the option of probation. Haverbeck has already spent over two years in prison in Bielefeld (NRW) for Holocaust denial. In 2022, a court in Berlin convicted her to a year in prison without probation for incitement. The verdict is legal, but the imprisonment has yet to be realized.
