UK singer banned from social media over Holocaust denial
Alison Chabloz, 54, wrote and published songs about Anne Frank and claiming the genocide was ‘a bunch of lies’; judge says she showed ‘no proper remorse’
LONDON — A folk singer who posted videos on YouTube insulting Jews and mocking the Holocaust has been banned from using social media.
A judge at London’s Westminster Magistrates’ Court sentenced Alison Chabloz on Thursday to a 20-week suspended prison sentence, a year-long social media ban and community service.
Her songs, partly set to traditional Jewish folk music, included lyrics such as: “Did the Holocaust ever happen? Was it just a bunch of lies? Seems that some intend to pull the wool over our eyes.”
Judge John Zani told Chabloz she had shown “no proper remorse” for her actions.
Chabloz said the songs were satirical. But the 54-year-old Swiss-British singer was convicted last month of sending “offensive, indecent or menacing messages” for writing, performing and disseminating three songs about Nazi persecution. One was about the young diarist Anne Frank.
During one session of her trial in January, Chabloz sang along in the courtroom as the judge reviewed the videos of her singing.
The Campaign Against anti-Semitism watchdog initially brought a private case against Chabloz before the Crown Prosecution Service took over.
Gideon Falter, the group’s chairman, said following last month’s ruling that “this verdict sends a strong message that in Britain, Holocaust denial and anti-Semitic conspiracy theories will not be tolerated.”
JTA contributed to this report.
