Letter to “The Economist”
The Economist
25 St Jame's Street
London SW1A1HG
[email protected]
Dear Editor
We are writing to thank you for your Jun 2nd article Free Speech Under Attack a bit late, (we get our copy of the Economist as a hand-me-down.)
It is worth noting that the current wave of censorship received a boost in 1990 with the passage of the Gayssot Act in France, Law No. 90-615 to repress acts of racism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia.
This law criminalized any extensive questioning of Holocaust history and imposed penalties of up to 5 years imprisonment. These censorship laws spread across Europe with national legislatures showing their enthusiasm by increasing the penalties for the crime of making a public comment on history.
Austria won with its punishment of up to twenty years in jail.
Yours for a Free Press, Free Speech, and Open Debate
David Merlin
For the Committee for Open Debate on the Holocaust.
P.O. Box 20774
York, PA 17402
USA
phone & fax: ++1-415-688-2129
[email protected]
Bibliographic information about this document: http://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21699909-curbs-free-speech-are-growing-tighter-it-time-speak-out-under-attack
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