Ernst Zundel, a German national who was kidnapped and forcibly removed from the United States to Canada on the flimsiest of pretexts, has been a political activist all of his adult life, speaking up for his people's maligned World War II generation. However, he was only six years old at the end of World War II. He came to Canada while still a teenager and lived there for more than four decades. He chose Canada because it did not require conscription since, raised as a Christian, he abhorred war and any kind of violence, and he has never changed his mind. As he has put it, then and since, "I won't take up a gun at governments' behest to kill another human being who has done me no harm."

With an innate artistic talent and excellent training in graphic arts acquired in the ruins of bombed-out, postwar Germany, Ernst very quickly became wealthy - and seriously concerned about an increasingly hysterial crescendo of post-World War II propaganda against the country of his birth.

At first, his activism was a part-time hobby. In 1967, he decided to get into mainstream political action, largely in token protest against ethnic vilification of the country that he loved. He was an immigrant, the youngest candidate ever in the history of Canada to run for political office as head of the Liberal Party. In an address to a live audience of 25,000, he pleaded for an end to anti-German hate propaganda and for Germany's reunification.

Shortly thereafter, to his amazement, his then pending application for Canadian citizenship was turned down, even though his record of conduct was spotless, and citizenship was routinely granted to successful immigrants.

A promising mainstream political career thus cut short, Ernst turned to non-violent street activism, mostly picketing of movie houses and print media. By then, he had a following of mostly European immigrants from many different countries. His name became a household word, not only in Canada but increasingly abroad. Never once did he or his supporters resort to any form of violence, either in speech or in action. The record speaks for itself.

In the early 1980s, the Canadian government arbitarily and dictatorially denied Ernst his postal privileges. It ruined his lucrative graphic arts studio but broadened his political appeal and brought him scores of free speech supporters from all over the world.

After a prolonged and very costly legal struggle, he won his postal privileges back. A Government-sponsored Postal Tribunal ruled tersely that the Canadian government should keep its nose out of "... a conflict between two peoples, the Germans and the Jews."

Next, his German passport was revoked and stayed revoked for many years. Documents obtained by his attorneys through the Freedom of Information Act revealed to his astonishment how much his ever more vociferous opponents feared his Truth-in-History campaign, and how seriously he was being taken by the powers in and behind several governments. He says today: "Scales fell from my eyes!"

In November of 1983, a well-known, wealthy Holocaust survivor brought criminal charges against Ernst for "spreading false news" under the Canadian Code's ancient Section 177, a law that dated from 12th Century England. More than 800 years ago, this law had protected England's aristocracy from wandering minstrels chanting ditties against the powers-that-be. Only twice had it been used in Canada.

Videos exist of the subsequent seven-week trial that show how Ernst, his legal team and friends were being threatened, pushed, beaten and spat on as they fought their way into the court house, while a frenzied mob, waving sticks and brandishing canes, hissed and screamed obscenities at the top of their lungs. One reporter from the Toronto Sun wrote that Ernst was "...winning the battle of images by mere contrast of behaviour."

Next, a bomb exploded in Ernst's garage. Jewish circles contacted the media and claimed responsibility. Police chose not to follow up.

Ernst Zundel lost that first trial, but upon appeal the judge was found to be biased. A new trial was ordered. This trial commenced in 1988. It lasted almost four months. Ernst paid for his defense, as he had done before, and has done ever since. The tax payers of Canada paid for the prosecution - by the millions!

Right at the start of this new trial, the judge took judicial notice - which means, in layman's terms, that the historical event known as the Holocaust, as claimed, was a historical "given" - and could not be put to the test. This made a conviction a foregone conclusion.

"Before this judge, in this court, the battle is hopeless," Doug Christie, defense attorney, told Ernst. "I can't win it for you."

"This one," replied Ernst, "is not for myself. This one will be my gift to history."

This trial made history. It gathered court witnesses and experts from all over the world - for no other reason than to document their testimony in court transcripts. One crucial outcome was the Leuchter Report, a global bestseller, obtained after a forensic investigative team flew to Auschwitz in then still Communist Poland. The Leuchter Report was a milestone.

Since judicial notice precluded victory, Ernst lost this trial as well, but after many appeals and a great deal of legal struggle and yet more millions spent on both sides, the Supreme Court of Canada exonerated him. After 9 years of costly litigation, the highest court in Canada said this:

"Section 2(b) of the Charter protects the rights of a minority to express its view, however unpopular it may be. ...The content of the communication is irrelevant. The purpose of the guarantee is to permit free expression to the end of promoting truth, political or social participation, and self-fulfillment. That purpose extends to the protection of minority beliefs which the majority regards as wrong or false."

The highest court of Canada had spoken. In a sane world this would have been the end. Ernst certainly believed it. Now he could turn to his first love and do what he had always longed to do - open an art gallery somewhere up in the mountains.

Within four days, Ernst was re-charged - this time under Canada's infamous Hate Laws. There were several more attempts, but the charges never stuck, for Ernst is not a hateful man. The government refused to carry through.

Thus having been cleared of all charges, Ernst decided to re-apply for Canadian citizenship. The Globe and Mail reported that his application was "flawless". Again he was turned down. Again, no explanation.

In the early morning of the 50th anniversary of Germany's defeat and surrender, the Zundel-Haus went up in flames. Had Ernst been home, he would have been killed. Invaluable documents, letters and books were destroyed. Even though the arsonist was caught on video and his name and whereabouts were known and turned over to the police, there was no follow-up.

This act of violence was followed 10 days later first by an AIDS-laced razor blade and then by a parcel bomb which, had it exploded, would have killed everyone in a radius of 300 feet.

Ernst rebuilt the Zundel-Haus - bigger, better and stronger - with the help of his freedom-of-speech friends from all over the world.

Since the Government refused to press criminal charges, Ernst's opponents turned to Human Rights legislation, focusing on cyberspace. It would go too far, and be too tedious, to describe the subsequent 5-year cyberspace censorship battle in various Canadian courtrooms, the outcome of which was a Human Rights Tribunal Stalinist verdict: "Truth is no defense"!

This ruling shocked Ernst to the core. If truth was no defense, he knew there was no way he could win his case in the courts of Canada. Moreover, he had made his mark. Historical revisionism had made spectacular inroads. Revisionist papers, books, seminars, symposia were sprinkled across hundreds of websites in cyberspace and seriously studied in colleges and universities, even in the embassies of countries that mattered. The information was out in the open - it would be up to the people to draw their own conclusions. Ernst decided his part of the struggle was done.

By that time, Ernst Zundel and Ingrid Zundel were married and had settled in the hills of Tennessee, in looks reminiscent of his homeland in the Black Forest. Here he would do what he had always longed to do - create in his own gallery and use his talent to add beauty to the world.

Then came the arrest, out of nowhere - two weeks before this gallery was to open! Why? Why now? No explanation has ever been given!

Ernst's censorship battles had lasted three decades. He was known globally for his politically incorrect views, but with no criminal record on the continent where he had lived all his adult life. He was married to a U.S. citizen, seeking adjustment of status pursuant to a properly filed application, whose presence in that capacity had been authorized by the Attorney General. Suddenly, with no provocation, he was brutally arrested and deported. Dictatorships act that way. Democracies have procedural safeguards - including habeas corpus.

To make one's case before a judge is a basic American right, enshrined in our Constitution. Additionally, Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 23 states that anybody in the custody of US law enforcement must not be removed to another location, much less booted out of the country, until a judge has heard the case.

A court is expected to rule on the facts as presented truthfully and fairly by both sides.

Who was behind this kidnapping - which was, for all intents and purposes, an extradition in the guise of deportation?

Ernst Zundel has a flawless record of a kind and decent man who refuses to live on his knees. He never preached or practiced violence - he is the victim of repeated, politically motivated violence.

If you care about Freedom and Justice in America, we ask that you support the Zundel Struggle. For further information, write to:

Dr. Ingrid Rimland 3152 Parkway, Suite 13, PMB 109 Pigeon Forge, TN 37863 USA

Editor: The Canadian mainstream media have glutted out on nasty things spread far and wide about my husband, Ernst Zundel. Perhaps it's time to let "the other side" speak up for a systematically demonized man.

Consider this: Our attorneys tell us that a "normal" bail hearing takes only an hour. Ernst's bail hearings have now lasted almost a year - and in the end, bail was denied this past Wednesday!

The Canadian taxpayer has picked up the tab to pay the governments' expenses. Ernst Zundel has paid his own way.

Here are essentials of what this newest Zundel prosecution is really all about - in case it should happen to you:

We know today that Ernst's arrest and deportation was a coordinated covert operation involving three so-called "democratic" countries - Canada, the USA, and Germany. How do we know? Partly through documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, and partly through various well-connected sources of our own.

US immigration officials as well as members/staff of America's law enforcement agencies were used as hit squads by alien interests to grab a peaceful man who lived openly, legally and lawfully in the United States, preventing due process by ex parte means, thus aiding and abetting in the deportation - in fact, a political kidnapping.

Ernst Zundel was not arrested for any criminal activity, not even for any politically incorrect views or beliefs. He was arrested on a minor bureaucratic technicality. Allegedly, he "missed an interview" and "overstayed his visa."

Both allegations have been contested in the courts. We are still waiting for a hearing.

Ernst did not miss an interview. An interview was scheduled on June 12, 2001. Our then attorney could not make it and asked for a re-scheduling. This is routine, routinely granted. He never received a reply.

This attorney waited and waited, then sent a follow-up letter, return receipt requested, on May 6, 2002. We have the original postal receipt - documented evidence that INS received that letter. Again, there was no reply.

Both of these letters are missing in the Immigration files! Convenient, isn't it?

We never abandoned Ernst's Adjustment of Status application, nor were we informed that it was considered abandoned. We had been advised that the interview could take as long as three years, and that no status check would be allowed. We simply went about our lives and waited.

When Ernst was arrested, we were prevented from calling a lawyer. A Warrant for Deportation lay ready in Knoxville and was signed and dated after the arrest. In the room where this was done, a poster with the Star of Israel was posted prominently on the wall.

Through the Freedom of Information Act - some 30 pages withheld for "security reasons"! - we found out that some coded messages had been faxed on the very day of our first scheduled appointment between US Immigration and Canadian Immigration. Who in Canada was interested in causing us grief on that day? A good place to start would be to check into some non-profit outfits that are fattening themselves on the taxpayers' trough by shrieking "Hate!" for gain.

After Ernst was arrested, we immediately applied for habeas corpus. We were turned down by a judge within hours in a one-sentence ruling. Not even our attorney was allowed to speak up.

We appealed to the Sixth Circuit Appeal Court. Within days, we were turned down again, this time in a one-paragraph ruling.

Through FOIA we found out that there was ex parte communication prior to this ruling between a clerk who has a Jewish-sounding name and an Immigration official who was exceedingly nasty to me when I tried to find out where my husband had been taken, and why. I understand it is illegal, perhaps even criminal, for court officials to solicit information on a pending court case behind the judges' and the accused's backs.

Ernst Zundel was flown to the Canadian border, accompanied by two INS officials. "Normal" deportations happen via bus.

On that very day, June 17, 2003, Germany swore out an arrest warrant. Why on that day? Who notified them? And on what grounds? An impartial judge could surely find out by requesting the missing Freedom of Information Act pages.

Through various documents and private sources, some at the highest levels of Germany's government, we learned that the original covert plan had been to get Ernst shipped to Germany where "insulting the memory of the dead" - of aliens, not of Germans! - is on the books as a "criminal offense", and where a 5 year conviction is a foregone conclusion for so-called "Holocaust Denial". Whoever masterminded this kidnapping evidently didn't know that the US always deports back to the country of entry, not to the country of nationality. Through possibly another bureaucratic snafu Ernst ended up in Canada - and Canadian taxpayers are now stuck with the bill.

Canada had a solution. Two ministers discovered that they had a suspicion on their brains that he might be a "terrorist" - it must have been his dimples, already deemed suspicious in 1985, the year of the First Great Holocaust Trial. A security certificate was duly sworn out. Such a certificate turns out to be the only way a deportation to Germany can be arranged at all, since Ernst would otherwise be legally entitled to remain in Canada, where he has lived for 42 years, and where he never has transgressed against the law.

Canadian taxpayers might want to know that prosecuting a national security certificate costs, on the average, a cool one million dollars. Ernst Zundel, of course, is expected to pay his own bills. And he will. Always has.

For almost a year now, Ernst has been held in solitary confinement in inhuman conditions, cold and hungry most of the time - without having been charged for a crime. For almost that long, we have struggled to get Judge Blais to grant him bail so Ernst can organize a proper defense. He can't defend himself from jail where even a ball point pen is forbidden, and where he does not even have a chair! He sits on a fat stack of transcripts from some two decades worth of prior trials that have cost the Canadian taxpayers plenty.

One final word: Ernst did not "flee" to the United States, as has been reported ad nauseam. After he left to live with me in Tennessee, he kept his business going at great costs to himself for an entire year to see the Human Rights Tribunal hearings through - the very "hick tribunal", as he described it aptly, that ruled that "Truth is no Defence". In Canada, truth is now called "hate" by those who hate the truth - a law underwritten by you.

No wonder that the world calls Canada "Absurdistan"!

It is no secret that there is no grassroots support for dissident like Ernst where a beholden media and unctuous politicians have long ago sold out to the powers that be. I'd like to pose this question: Who might cost less and leave Canada intact as a democracy - CSIS or Mr. Zundel?

A man was kidnapped in broad daylight under cover of the "law" on American soil and dumped in a Canadian prison. Is there no legal mechanism left where he can spread his facts out on the table and let a reasonable judge - please, not a judge who, as Solicitor General, once was responsible for CSIS - look at the facts impartially, give an opinion worthy of a man of pride and principle, and, hopefully, restore Ernst Zundel's rights?

Sincerely,

Ingrid Rimland Zundel, Ed.D.