asperity Posted October 6, 2008 Report Share Posted October 6, 2008 An Australian man has been arrested at Heathrow Airport by British police under a European Arrest Warrant issued by a German court. His crime was Holocaust Denial on a website he runs in Australia. Holocaust Denial is not a crime in Britain or Australia so should he have been arrested in this country at all? The European Arrest Warrant was brought into being so as to speed up the extradition of terrorist suspects after 9/11. The danger is if, for example, someone stole your identity and used it to commit some financial crime in another European country, you could be arrested in this country and extradited without any evidence against you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted October 6, 2008 Report Share Posted October 6, 2008 Holacaust denial, like creationism may be bonkers; but I find the fact some Countries deem "free thought" a crime to be even worse. As for "extradition treaties", believe we have a one way arrangement with that well known "torture State" the USA, where they can have anyone they want from the UK - thus maintaining our world reputation as a joke! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonzodog Posted October 6, 2008 Report Share Posted October 6, 2008 In two minds about this one. Firstly Obs - if we were talking about "free thought" as you put it, no question about it - there should be no laws dictating how you should think (& how would you prove one way or the other?); but we are not. We are talking about producing material that transgressing some laws. Secondly, should we (UK) have laws prohibiting written material? What would you say if it was a UK web site calling for UK citizens to instigate islamist attacks on UK targets? Thirdly if we don't extradite, how can we expect other contries to extradite to UK? Hmmmmm! lots to debate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted October 6, 2008 Report Share Posted October 6, 2008 Perhaps "those laws" require some scrutiny? IF someone wishes to believe that the Nazis didn't murder 6million Jews or that God created heaven and earth - we can laugh at them as being cranks - but still maintain their right to think, believe and write what they want. It is for a responsible, objective and secular education system to inform folk to such a level that they are immune to historical revisionism, from whatever quarter. As for reciprication in terms of extradition: The NatWest crew and the guy who strayed into the US pentagon website were whisked away quite smartish; not so OUR Nationals held without trial in Guantanamo - one way traffic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonzodog Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 So Obs, are you saying that there should be extradition for possible crimes committed in other countries or not? Oh & by the way, I like your use of the word "nationals" in an effort to suggest they are UK citizens when of course they are not! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 Extradition arrangements supposed to be reciprocal - in the case of the US they are patently not, as in the case of Guantanamo, British Passport holders were detained without trial: PLUS, the UK supposed to have a policy of NOT extraditing folk to "torture States" or those operating "capital punishment", hence the non- return to Jordan of Abu Hamza - the USA is clearly both a "torture State" (water boarding) and obviously has a system of judicial murder! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bonzodog Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 Trying to mislead again, eh. Please tell me what has reciprical extradition got to do with Guantanamo? Are they wanted for crimes in UK & the US have refused to extradite - news to me? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 Good luck in pinning him down Bonzo - as far as the actually subject of this thread - I do not have the answer - but I do know what Asperity is getting at- if I am right he feels that the laws of the UK no longer matter to the EU and he is worried(rightly so) that more pressure will be put on the UK to conform to EU laws?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted October 7, 2008 Report Share Posted October 7, 2008 No it's worse than that; British Passport holders and others seized by extrordinary rendition in many cases, and interned and tortured without trial. So they hadn't committed a crime IN the USA, and were thus being held illegally, it is therefore for the UK Gov to secure their return to their Country of origin - and have been successfull in a few cases, after years of trying - that's the kind of reciprocation we get from our ally! :roll Still, we digress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve the Original Posted October 8, 2008 Report Share Posted October 8, 2008 Certain crime?s that are commited abroad should be subject to extradiction but that above mentioned Crime should only be chargeable if he was to enter Germany. Crime?s that are also an offence in the UK even though committed outside the UK extradiction should never be a problem. Denoucing the Holocaust in the UK is not an Offence in the UK so shouldnt not be subject to extradiction...now if were Murder thats a different story.. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted October 8, 2008 Report Share Posted October 8, 2008 Thanks for bringing us back to the original topic Ste; I agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mary Posted October 9, 2008 Report Share Posted October 9, 2008 HA!! Wonder who it was that took us off subject?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve the Original Posted October 9, 2008 Report Share Posted October 9, 2008 HA!! Wonder who it was that took us off subject?? It was Gary Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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