Berlin - Germany's federal supreme court has ruled that Holocaust denial on the Internet is punishable under German law, even if the website in question is not based in Germany, writes Derek Scally. The landmark decision was made in a case brought against Mr Frederick Toben, a German resident in Australia, who created a website based in Australia dealing with what he called "the Auschwitz lies".
Holocaust denial is a criminal offence in Germany but the decision extending jurisdiction to the Internet is significant.
In particular, it should give ammunition to German authorities in their fight against extreme right-wing groups who use the Internet to distribute criminal material.