Battleangel

At least some people have had enough. Like Swiss Justice Minister Christoph Blocher. Hopefully this will make other European nations a little more likely to bring up the controversial issue and to think about restoring freedom of speech to its former glory.

Freedom of expression was essential to democracy, affirmed the minister. “I want people to be able to express themselves in Switzerland, even if their opinion doesn’t appeal to everyone,” he added.

During his trip to Turkey, Blocher had remarked that part of the anti-racism law – adopted in 1994 and including sections aimed at preventing revisionist views about the Holocaust – gave him a “headache”.

The law has led to investigations against two Turks, including a historian, in Switzerland for allegedly denying the 1915 Armenian massacre.

Blocher is right. It is a fairly simple question. Having laws against “Holocaust denial” for instance is not any different, legally speaking, from what Turkey is doing to cover up its own genocide. Both sides would rather not have inconvenient truths uncovered. Plus, these laws — wherever they are present — constitute an enormous blot on the European freedom record.