Holocaust denier set for further hearing in extradition proceedings

A Holocaust denier who is being held in a Scottish prison after being sought by authorities who had been hunting him for years will face a further court hearing next month as part of extradition proceedings.

Vincent Reynouard was arrested in Anstruther, Fife, in November after being on the run from police in France.

The Frenchman had been convicted under anti-Nazi laws across the Channel, where he was given a four-month jail term in November 2020 and a further six months in January 2021.

At Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday, Sheriff Alistair Noble said a further preliminary hearing would be held on March 9 with a full hearing currently scheduled for April 6.

Reynouard was not in attendance at the court via video link from HMP Edinburgh on Thursday after an issue with the link, but lawyer Paul Dunne said he had his client’s full position.

The court was told a YouTube video which was said to have been uploaded had recently been sent to Mr Dunne, but the video was currently in French with no translation yet available.

Reynouard’s solicitor said they needed to establish if the video fell into the category of racism or xenophobia.

Advocate Depute Paul Harvey said if it did, the issue of dual criminality – the principal that the offence convicted of and required to serve a sentence for in France is also an offence under domestic law – would fall away.

Mr Dunne also spoke of press reports in France which suggested there were further charges awaiting Reynouard’s arrival to his homeland, and he wanted clarification.

Sheriff Noble held Reynouard on remand.

Holocaust denial has been a criminal offence in France since 1990, and Reynouard has been convicted on numerous occasions.

His latest conviction was in relation to a series of antisemitic posts on social media.