Written declaration No. 435 | Doc. 12138 | 17 May 2010

Holocaust denial

Signatories: Mr Denis MacSHANE, United Kingdom ; Lord Donald ANDERSON, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Doris BARNETT, Germany, SOC ; Ms Maryvonne BLONDIN, France, SOC ; Mr Joan CARTES IVERN, Andorra, SOC ; Lord David CHIDGEY, United Kingdom ; Mr Boriss CILEVIČS, Latvia, SOC ; Ms Claire CURTIS-THOMAS, United Kingdom ; Mr Arcadio DÍAZ TEJERA, Spain, SOC ; Ms Josette DURRIEU, France, SOC ; Mr Tuur ELZINGA, Netherlands, UEL ; Mr Bill ETHERINGTON, United Kingdom ; Mr Obrad GOJKOVIĆ, Montenegro, SOC ; Mr Andreas GROSS, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Michael HAGBERG, Sweden ; Ms Carina HÄGG, Sweden ; Mr Jim HOOD, United Kingdom ; Ms Sinikka HURSKAINEN, Finland, SOC ; Mr Jean HUSS, Luxembourg, SOC ; Ms Francine JOHN-CALAME, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Michail KATRINIS, Greece, SOC ; Mr Tiny KOX, Netherlands, UEL ; Mr Bob LAXTON, United Kingdom ; Mr Pietro MARCENARO, Italy, SOC ; Mr Bernard MARQUET, Monaco, ALDE ; Ms Liliane MAURY PASQUIER, Switzerland, SOC ; Ms Christine McCAFFERTY, United Kingdom ; Sir Alan MEALE, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Juan MOSCOSO DEL PRADO, Spain, SOC ; Mr Edward O'HARA, United Kingdom ; Mr Holger ORTEL, Germany, SOC ; Mr Lluís Maria de PUIG i OLIVE, Spain, SOC ; Ms Maria Pilar RIBA FONT, Andorra, SOC ; Ms Karin ROTH, Germany, SOC ; Mr René ROUQUET, France ; Mr Paul ROWEN, United Kingdom, ALDE ; Mr Fidias SARIKAS, Cyprus, SOC ; Mr Ervin SPAHIĆ, Montenegro, SOC ; Mr Yanaki STOILOV, Bulgaria, SOC ; Ms Tineke STRIK, Netherlands, SOC ; Ms Doris STUMP, Switzerland, SOC ; Mr Zoltán SZABÓ, Hungary ; Lord John E. TOMLINSON, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Birutė VĖSAITĖ, Lithuania, SOC ; Mr Rudi VIS, United Kingdom ; Mr Konstantinos VRETTOS, Greece, SOC ; Mr Klaas de VRIES, Netherlands, SOC ; Mr Jordi XUCLÀ, Spain, ALDE

This written declaration commits only those who have signed it.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe firmly condemns all those who deny, question or admit doubts, in whole or in part, the respect of the historical fact of the extermination of millions of Jews as a result of extremist right-wing racist and anti-Semitic ideology put into practice by the Nazis at the death camps situated on Polish soil during the Second World War.

We are concerned to learn of the ambiguous statements made on the Polish radio station, Radio Maryja, and elsewhere, by Senator Ryszard Bender who chaired the first part of the Assembly sitting on 25 January by virtue of being the oldest delegate present. We note that Mr Bender’s statements have been condemned by democratic politicians and historians inside Poland. We urge the Assembly authorities to take more care before any delegate chairs an Assembly sitting who has made any ambiguous remarks about Jews in any context. We note and regret the election of members of the European Parliament who have made anti-Jewish statements or who have denied the Holocaust. We urge Mr Bender to clarify his position and uphold the clear and unequivocal view of the Council of Europe that what happened to Jews on Polish soil under nazi occupation was a monstrous crime unprecedented in world history, which present and future generations must comprehend and learn why the hatred of Jews leads to ultimate evil.