BPC Bulletin: Montreal Man Promoted Hatred Against Jews, Judge Finds
News Reports and Commentary Selected by Franklin Carter of the Book and Periodical Council’s Freedom of Expression Committee.
In a courtroom in Montreal, a judge found a man guilty of wilfully promoting hatred against Jews.
Judge Manlio Del Negro of the Quebec court found Gabriel Sohier Chaput guilty of one count of wilful promotion of hatred.
Sohier Chaput, who used the pen name Charles Zeiger, had posted an article on the Nazi website Daily Stormer in 2017. The case hinged on this article, which Sohier Chaput claimed was satire.
He had also posted more than 800 articles on the Daily Stormer’s website for several years.
Judge Del Negro rejected the argument that Sohier Chaput’s writing was intended to be humorous, not hateful. He also rejected the argument put forward by Sohier Chaput’s lawyer that “genocide wasn’t originally central to Nazism” and that the Crown needed to prove that Nazis regarded the Jews as inferior.
“Seventy-seven years after the end of World War II, to persist in trivializing the role that Nazism played in regards to the Jews during the Holocaust and to continue to target them is deeply shocking,” the judge said.
The charge of wilfully promoting hatred carries a maximum sentence of two years.
REPORTAGE
January 2023
Jacob Serebrin of the Canadian Press reports:
Montreal man found guilty of wilfully promoting hatred against Jews | Globalnews.ca
Erika Morris of CBC News reports:
Montreal neo-Nazi found guilty of promoting hatred | CBC News
In The Canadian Jewish News, Janice Arnold reports:
Paul Cherry reports in the Montreal Gazette:
Montrealer found guilty of hate against Jews after Daily Stormer post | Montreal Gazette
In La Presse, Louis-Samuel Perron reports:
In Le Journal de Montréal, Laurent Lavoie reports:
Un influent néonazi montréalais coupable d’avoir incité à la haine envers les Juifs | JDM (journaldemontreal.com)
November 2022
In The Canadian Jewish News, Janice Arnold reports:
The hate-speech trial of Gabriel Sohier Chaput concluded in Montreal with his lawyer raising doubts about Nazism and the Holocaust (thecjn.ca)
Jacob Serebrin of the Canadian Press reports:
Lawyers debate whether Nazism led to Holocaust, as Montreal hate speech trial resumes | Globalnews.ca
Erika Morris of CBC News reports:
Montreal hate-speech trial hears debate on whether Nazism directly caused Holocaust | CBC News
In the National Post, Paul Cherry reports:
At Montreal hate speech trial, defence questions whether Nazis fully responsible for Holocaust | National Post
July 2022
Erika Morris of CBC News reports:
Jewish groups in Montreal demand better education after trial of alleged neo-Nazi | CBC News
In The Canadian Jewish News, Janice Arnold reports:
Erika Morris of CBC News reports:
Prosecution argues satire doesn't cancel out hate in trial of alleged Montreal neo-Nazi | CBC News
Pierre Saint-Arnaud of the Canadian Press reports:
Quebec judge says Crown failed to prove Nazism led to Holocaust in hate speech trial | Globalnews.ca
Simon Coutu of Radio-Canada reports:
Débat sur l’Holocauste lors du procès d’un néonazi | Radio-Canada.ca
In La Presse, William Thériault reports:
Procès d’un rédacteur néonazi | Gabriel Sohier-Chaput voulait fomenter la haine, plaide la Couronne | La Presse
March 2022
Sidhartha Banerjee of the Canadian Press reports:
Closing arguments underway in trial of Montreal man charged with inciting hate | Globalnews.ca
Erika Morris of CBC News reports:
Morgan Lowrie of the Canadian Press reports:
Montreal man charged with inciting hate testifies in his own defence | Globalnews.ca
Erika Morris of CBC News reports:
Alleged Montreal neo-Nazi recruiter pleads not guilty to spreading online hate | CBC News
February 2022
The Canadian Press reports:
Trial begins for alleged Quebec neo-Nazi recruiter for hate propaganda - Montreal | Globalnews.ca
Erika Morris of CBC News reports:
Alleged Montreal 'neo-Nazi' recruiter goes on trial for hate propaganda | CBC News
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