House approves Holocaust denial bill

(ANSA) - Rome, October 13 - The Lower House on Tuesday approved a bill introducing denial of the Holocaust into the criminal code as an aggravating circumstance in hate crimes. The motion passed with 340 in favor, 107 abstaining, and one nay. The anti-establishment 5-Star Movement, the rightwing, anti-immigrant Northern League and the small rightwing Brothers of Italy (FdI) parties abstained.
    The bill introduces denial of the Holocaust as an aggravating circumstance when connected to crimes involving the instigation to violence or discrimination based on race, ethnicity, nationality or religion.
    It provides for stiffer sentences in cases in which propaganda, instigation and incitement are based "in whole or in part on denial of the Shoah (Holocaust), that is, denial of the crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes" as defined by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
    The Lower House amended the bill with a clause that the Holocaust denial must be proven via a previous ruling in any international court or body that Italy is a member of.
    The bill now goes back to the Senate for another reading, because it was modified in the House.