'Nazi gran' who went on the run to avoid jail for Holocaust denial dies aged 96

Ursula Haverbeck joined a erstwhile SS authoritative successful 1970, and spent respective decades moving a "Holocaust probe centre" that created worldly German judges branded "poison"

A neo-Nazi gran who evaded constabulary for years portion being sought connected hatred transgression charges has died aged 96.

Right-wing extremist groups confirmed that Ursula Haverbeck, a noted German Holocaust denier who claimed Auschwitz, the largest execution tract successful quality history, was thing much than a "labour camp", died connected Wednesday. Haverbeck had been jailed aggregate times and was hailed arsenic a martyr by neo-Nazis aft publically denying the murders of millions of Jews.

She erstwhile appeared connected tv and sensationally claimed that "the Holocaust is the biggest and astir sustainable prevarication successful history". Haverbeck had been convicted aggregate times since 2004 and was locked up successful 2017 and 2020, earning 1 condemnation from a Berlin justice successful 2022 for repeatedly publically denying Adolf Hitler's Nazi enactment ever carried retired the genocide of six cardinal Jewish Germans.

She was astir precocious convicted successful June this twelvemonth for incitement, and sentenced to 16 months down bars by the Hamburg authorities court. The 96-year-old died earlier her entreaty against the blameworthy verdict - issued for further comments astir Auschwitz - was completed.

Denying the Holocaust is simply a transgression offence successful Germany that carries a maximum situation condemnation of 5 years, a punishment Haverbeck attempted to flight successful 2018. She failed to crook up to situation successful Verden, westbound Germany, successful May 2018 pursuing an earlier conviction, sparking a week-long constabulary manhunt.

She was yet recovered by constabulary erstwhile she relented and returned to her home, and her aggregate arrests person fixed her superstar presumption among extremist right-wing circles, who archetypal reported her decease connected X, formerly Twitter. The reports were aboriginal picked up by German transmission N-TV.

Frank Franz, the president of utmost right-wing, neo-Nazi enactment Die Heimat, confirmed the radical had "learned of her decease contiguous from her lawyer". Haverbeck had established herself successful Nazi circles agelong earlier her notable nationalist outbursts, having joined Werner Georg Haverbeck, a erstwhile SS official, successful 1970.

She spent the pursuing respective decades successful complaint of a "Holocaust probe centre", and overseeing the work of explicitly antisemitic and Holocaust-denying material. The centre was lone unopen down 16 years agone successful 2008. The closure did not halt her from spreading hatred, and she rapidly became a favourite amongst German neo-Nazi groups.

She adjacent ran for the European Parliament successful 2019, joining the Die Rechte (The Right) enactment summons arsenic a apical candidate. One justice said during a erstwhile condemnation that she was spreading "poison" done Germany.

They said: "You're not a Holocaust researcher, you're a Holocaust denier and it's not cognition you're spreading, it's poison. There's thing that volition halt you. We won't person immoderate interaction connected you with words." One magistrate erstwhile said it was "deplorable" that Haverbeck utilized her vigor "to dispersed specified hair-raising nonsense."