"The denial of the Holocaust will be punishable by law under a bill passed by Parliament on Monday afternoon. Those who publicly deny the Holocaust, call it into doubt or present it as insignificant may be sentenced to up to three years in prison.The motion submitted by Socialist prime ministerial candidate Attila Mesterházy was passed with 197 votes in favour, one dissen-sion and 144 abstentions. Free Democrat József Gulyás was the lone dissenter; Fidesz MPs abstained.
If President László Sólyom signs the bill into law, it will enter into force 30 days later.
Fidesz submitted a motion to criminalise the public denial of crimes against humanity committed by communist as well as fascist regimes but Parliament rejected it by a vote of 178-146.
Mazsihisz president Péter Feldmájer, ex-ecutive director Gusztáv Zoltai and several Holocaust survivors attended the voting at the invitation of the Socialist Party.
Parliament later made participation in the leadership of a dissolved social organisation punishable by up to three years in prison, raising the seriousness of such activity from a misdemeanour to a crime. The bill was passed by 177 affirmative votes and 140 ab-stentions, as Fidesz did not support it."
Source: Hungary Around the Clock.
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23.02.2010