Roeland Raes

Roeland Raes HT ( born September 4, 1934 in Ghent, Belgium) is a Flemish lawyer, right-wing politicians and Negationist.

Life

Raes studied law at the University of Ghent, where he fourth celebrity to Doctor juris. He then worked in the insurance industry.

Since 1955 Raes is politically active, first for the party Volksunie, later for the Vlaams Blok and since its dissolution in November 2004 in response to the conviction by the Belgian Supreme Court of Appeals for the successor party Vlaams Belang.

From 1968 to 1971 Rae was a member of the Council of the Province of East Flanders and sat from 1991 to 1995 in the Flemish Parliament. From 1995 to 2001 he sat for the Vlaams Blok in the Belgian Senate. Raes was Vice-Chairman of the Vlaams Blok and until 2001 a member of the Board of Directors of the University of Ghent. He still is active in Lovendegem for the Vlaams Belang.

On 26 February 2001 the Dutch television NCRV sent as part of his mission Netwerk an interview with Rae. In it, he expressed doubts about the Holocaust. He said among other things: "The persecution and deportation [ of Jews ] is done systematically But whether it was planned that they should all perish during the war, is another question. . " On demand " And the number of 6.5 million dead? " he replied: "That is constantly under suspicion (...) There are many bad things happen: .. . Jews, gypsies, I hear, even with homosexuals, apparently But if the numbers are exactly is a whole other question In many have written and many different numbers are called. "

The following day, the Vlaams Blok distanced itself from the remarks and declared the resignation Raes ' as deputy party chairman. On February 28, 2001 invited the Rector of the University of Ghent, Jacques Willems, the resignation Raes ' as a member of the Board of the University, to which he had been appointed by the Flemish Parliament. This demand came Raes on 5 March 2001 by and at the same time withdrew from the Belgian Senate, where he had been a member since 1995. On 12 December 2008 Raes was sentenced to four months imprisonment on probation for Holocaust denial. Also he has to damages in the amount of 1,000 € to the organizations Centrum voor Gelijke Kansen en Racismebestrijding and afford Forum Joodse Organisaties. Raes announced to want to appeal against the verdict.