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Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum Foils Warsaw Appearance by David Irving
The Holocaust denier David Irving was scheduled to make an appearance today at the 52nd Warsaw International Book Fair.
The organizer of the fair, the Ars Polona S.A. company, decided to expel the Fair exhibitor that had invited Irving to speak after Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum director Piotr M. A. Cywiński notified the police about an intended violation of the IPN law (Instytut Pamięci Narodowej), which forbids the public, inaccurate negation of Nazi and communist crimes.
Irving was arrested in Austria in February 2006 and sentenced to 3 years imprisonment for Holocaust denial. The denial, downplaying, praise, or justification in media publications of Nazi genocide is a crime punishable by imprisonment in 9 European countries.
Granted early release after his sentenced was reduced, Irving subsequently stated categorically in an interview with an Italian television network that there were no gas chambers in Auschwitz.
The British historian had earlier been convicted several times for his views, and was banned from entering several countries. Several years ago, he attempted to shoot a documentary film at the Auschwitz site, but was denied permission to film there.
Irving recently reappeared in Oświęcim, and attempted without permission to appear before television cameras at the site of the Birkenau camp. On that occasion as well, the Museum director’s office lodged a firm protest with the Russian producer of the documentary film shot there.
