Holocaust Denier Vincent Reynouard Set for Extradition to France
A Scottish court has ruled that Vincent Reynouard, a notorious Holocaust denier who dodged justice for two years, will be sent back to France to stand trial. The 54-year-old was finally caught in Fife last November.
Extradition Battle Ends in Defeat
At Edinburgh Sheriff Court on Thursday, Reynouard was told he would face charges in France for “public trivialisation of a war crime” and “public incitement to hatred.”
Reynouard’s lawyers fought hard, arguing that UK law doesn’t recognise Holocaust denial as a crime, so he shouldn’t be extradited. Defence advocate Fred Mackintosh KC insisted there was no UK equivalent for the French charges.
But Sheriff Chris Dickson shot down that argument, pointing to a video Reynouard published. Though the video didn’t explicitly call for violence against Jewish people, Sheriff Dickson said it still broke Scottish laws. This sealed the judge’s decision to approve extradition.
Fugitive Caught After Two Years on the Run
Reynouard was arrested in Anstruther on November 10, 2022, under a Trade and Cooperation Agreement warrant. He had been living undercover, using a fake identity while working as a private tutor.
French authorities have charged him with Holocaust denial, a criminal offence in France. The hunt for Reynouard was led by France’s Central Office for the Fight Against Crimes against Humanity and Hate Crimes.
Graffiti Sparks Investigation
The case blew up after vandals spray-painted “Reynouard is right” on the memorial of Oradour-sur-Glane, the French village massacred by Nazis in June 1944. This shocking act prompted the criminal investigation that led to his arrest.
