Horst Mahler, a German Holocaust denier who was once a far-left militant, dies at 89
Mahler died on Sunday at a hospital in Berlin, Jan Dollwetzel, who represented Mahler at a trial in 2023, told German news agency dpa.
Mahler, born on Jan. 23, 1936, became a lawyer and in 1969 defended militants Andreas Baader and Gudrun Ensslin in a trial. Shortly afterward, he went on to found the Red Army Faction with them.
The group, which emerged from German student protests against the Vietnam War, killed 34 people and injured hundreds of others in a violent campaign against what members considered U.S. imperialism and capitalist oppression of workers. It declared itself disbanded in 1998.
In 1970, Mahler was arrested and sentenced to 14 years in prison over various bank robberies with a far-left motivation. He distanced himself from his extremist past while in custody and was released after 10 years. In 1987, he was readmitted to practice as a lawyer with the help of his then-defense attorney, Gerhard Schröder, who would later become German chancellor.
In the 1990s, Mahler switched to the opposite political extreme, becoming a member of the far-right National Democratic Party for a few years. He represented the party in 2001 in its case against an unsuccessful attempt by authorities to ban it.
Mahler racked up several convictions for denying the Holocaust, which earned him sentences totaling 10 years, and while in prison wrote a 200-page antisemitic screed that was put on the internet by unknown culprits.
In 2017, he fled to Hungary after being ordered to return to prison following a break from serving his sentence due to serious illness. Mahler said after he was arrested that he had requested asylum, but his claim was not confirmed by authorities. He was extradited to Germany and returned to prison.
Mahler was released in October 2020 and lived in Kleinmachnow, just outside Berlin. Another trial against him was shelved in April 2023 for health reasons and never resumed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
17 minutes ago
- The Independent
Britain urged to let hero Afghans bring their families to UK after major data leak put thousands at risk
The government has been urged to let hero Afghans granted sanctuary in Britain bring their loved ones to the UK after a major data breach put the lives of up to 100,000 people at risk from the Taliban. More than 50 refugee charities and lawyers have written to Yvette Cooper, urging her to make it easier for Afghans who were allowed to relocate to the UK due to British links to bring family members – many of whom are at risk of reprisals – with them. The pleas come after revelations of a 'catastrophic' data leak at the Ministry of Defence in February 2022, which involved the details of thousands of Afghans who said they were in danger from the Taliban and had applied for sanctuary in Britain being shared online. The dataset, inadvertently sent out by a member of the armed forces, included the personal details of applicants to the MoD's Arap resettlement scheme, which allows Afghans who supported British troops to seek sanctuary in the UK. The leak was covered up by a superinjunction, which was lifted in July after The Independent challenged the draconian legal order at the High Court. Ms Cooper has now been told the government 'has no time to waste' if it 'wants to prevent the worst possible consequences of the data leak becoming a dire reality'. Charity workers and solicitors, including from Asylum Aid and modern slavery charity Kalayaan, told Ms Cooper: 'The UK government has a moral responsibility to the Afghan people who continue to suffer, including now as a result of the data leak and have no choice but to seek safety elsewhere. 'The 2022 data breach directly exposed Afghans still in the country to a risk of reprisals they were not even aware of, and the High Court, in lifting the superinjunction, recognised that its imposition may have increased the risks these people face.' The letter continued: 'Poor decision-making could yet again have exposed Afghans to serious harm, with many of these people having clear UK family ties'. They added: 'It is essential that those who were resettled under Arap and ACRS are able to live in safety and are given a fair opportunity to reunite with their families.' Unlike asylum routes, Afghans using Arap cannot sponsor family members to come to the UK under refugee reunion rules. The same applies to those relocated under ACRS, designed to help those who supported British values, such as journalists or women's rights activists. However, some may be able to make a separate immigration application. But charities and rights groups say these family routes are very restrictive and can often involve 'extremely costly application fees and require copious, specific documentation'. Decision-makers often refuse these applications from Afghan families, leading to lengthy appeals. Lib Dem MP Wendy Chamberlain, chair of the all-parliamentary group for Afghan women, said: 'There is already anecdotal evidence of reprisals on family members by the Taliban - the Home Office has no time to waste if the government wants to prevent the worst possible consequences of the data leak becoming a dire reality. 'The Home Office desperately needs to take a pragmatic and compassionate approach to allowing Afghans resettled in the UK to be reunited safely with their families. It is clear that these schemes have been seriously mis-handled, culminating in the recent exposure of the 2022 data leak.' In one recent case highlighted by The Independent, a security guard who worked for the British embassy in Kabul for almost two decades has been unable to bring his two eldest sons to the UK. Hamidullah Fahim and his wife Zaghona were brought to Britain with two young children in December 2023, but he couldn't bring his two eldest sons, who are now in their 20s. He said that his family is struggling with being separated, saying: 'We want to do whatever we can to be reunited with them and to let the Home Office know of the injustice that has been carried out in our case'. Isaac Shaffer, at Refugee Legal Support, said it was 'critical' that the government sped up decision-making on Arap cases in light of the data breach. He explained that most of the people he was helping 'have waited over a year for a final decision on their Arap application and have remained in hiding throughout; in constant fear, and in extraordinarily precarious circumstances', adding: 'Knowledge of this data breach has only exacerbated this fear and uncertainty'. James Tullett, CEO at charity Ramfel, who helped co-ordinate the letter, said: 'The government has acknowledged that the people they have resettled need protection and yet this offer of support comes with the heavy price of separation from family. 'Allowing Afghan families to reunite won't solve all the problems associated with the data leak, but it will make a monumental difference for the affected families'.
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Zelenskiy speaks with Trump ahead of Putin ceasefire deadline
KYIV, Aug 5 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Tuesday that he had had a "productive" conversation with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump on ending the war, sanctions on Russia and the finalisation of a U.S.-Ukraine drone deal. Trump, who has signalled frustration with Vladimir Putin in recent weeks, has given the Russian president until August 8 to make peace in Ukraine or face tougher sanctions. "President Trump is fully informed about Russian strikes on Kyiv and other cities and communities," Zelenskiy wrote on X, referring to intensifying drone and missile attacks. Trump has threatened to hit Russia with new sanctions and impose 100% tariffs on countries that buy its oil, but sources close to the Kremlin told Reuters, opens new tab that Putin was unlikely to bow to the ultimatum. Zelenskiy said Ukraine was also ready to conclude a deal with the U.S. on the purchase of Ukrainian drones that would amount to "one of the strongest agreements". He had earlier said the deal was worth around $30 billion. Ukraine is increasingly seeking financing and investment from its foreign partners to bolster its burgeoning domestic arms industry. Zelenskiy said Kyiv's European partners had so far pledged to buy more than $1 billion in U.S. weapons for Ukraine as part of a new scheme.
The Sun
an hour ago
- The Sun
Mauro Icardi killed and ATE pigeon after using homemade slingshot at Barcelona academy, claims former team-mate
MAURO ICARDI left Barcelona stars stunned with his wild antics during his time at the club's academy, says a former team-mate. The Argentine joined La Masia as a fifteen-year-old after being spotted playing for a club from the Canary Islands. 1 Sergi Gomez, who went on to play for Sevilla and Espanyol, shared an apartment with Icardi, future Stoke star Marc Muniesa and Champions League winner Sergi Roberto. And he told Spanish podcast Post United: "Mauro arrived at La Masía and we were teammates for three or four seasons. "During one of those seasons, we shared an apartment. One day, he said to me, 'Sergi, come with me to the park next door.' "He was carrying a Y-shaped piece of wood that he had cut the day before, with a rubber band tied to it. "He had made a homemade slingshot. We went to the park, and he pointed to a very tall pine tree and said, 'See up there?' "He grabbed a rock, stretched the rubber band, and... boom. "He brought down the pigeon from a height of 20 or 30 metres. "We went back, he plucked its feathers, threaded a wire through it, lit a fire, and ate it in front of me. "I remember thinking: 'What awaits me if we start like this?'" Mauro Icardi shows his skills at the Barcelona youth academy Icardi, now 32, is currently going through divorce proceedings with wife and former agent Wanda Nara. The striker accuses Nara of infidelity, which could lead to her having to pay alimony if found to be the reason for the divorce. The estranged couple have two daughters together - Francesca, 10, and Isabella, 8. But Gomez was positive about his former team-mate as a person. He said: "We lived through a lot together, and if he sees me, he'll know that I hold that in my heart."
