It seems there's a bit of a crackdown occurring around the world on 'Holocaust deniers'...

Ernst Zundel. In the early '80's he published a book called "Did Six Million Really Die?" He was charged in 1985 with 'publishing false news.' In the two attempts to trial him in '85 and '88, he called upon gas chamber experts and cross examined a number of Holocaust survivors, who apparently fell apart under questioning. He was found not guilty. In 2003 he was arrested in America for an alleged immigration violation and deported back to Canada, where he was held in solitary confinement for 2 years until being deported to Germany, where he has been charged with 'Holocaust denial' and faces 5 years in jail. This is after having lived in Canada since 1958.

Germar Rudolph. In 1989 he conducted scientific analysis of the chemicals used to gas people at Auschwitz and Birkenau. He was unable to find evidence to support the claims that 6 million jews were gassed. For his scientific findings, which he tried to use to get further investigation done into the Holocaust, he was charged with Holocaust denial and sentenced to 14 months in jail. He fled the country however, and settled in the US, marrying an American woman and raising a family. In October 2005, he was arrested by US authorities and deported to Germany on 14th November.

David Irving. He has spent many years travelling around the world challenging the official story of the Holocaust, presenting evidence that contradicts the official story. Many countries have banned him from entering. He was arrested on 11th November 2005 in Vienna, Austria for Holocaust denial. Under Austrian law he faces up to 20 years in jail.

Siegfried Verbeke. He publicly questioned the facts of the Anne Frank story, and was arrested in August 2005. In October he was extradited to Germany, where he faces 14 months in prison.

Rene-Louis Berclaz. Currently serving the 11th month of a 17th month sentence for publicly doubting the gas chamber story, a story which has been changed a number of times over the years.

These and so many others are being arrested, deported, charged and imprisoned with Holocaust denial. This year.

Why this year? Why the sudden clampdown on people expressing their findings or thoughts? Why are people arrested and thrown into jail simply for disagreeing with the official version of events?

What are they trying to hide, that's so important to really start hiding this year?

None of the people mentioned above denied the Holocaust occurred. They all agree that a major tragedy occurred. What they don't agree with, however, is the extent of the tragedy, or the facts that have been associated with that tragedy.

In 1948, the Red Cross released a report on their activities during WWII. This report showed that the Germans allowed them unrestricted access to all POW camps, and that the Red Cross was allowed to arrange for supplies and medications to be transported and given to POWs. This was eventually stopped when Allied bombing campaigns targeted the supply convoys. The Red Cross found no evidence of genocide at any of the alleged gas camps, and reported instead on the tragedy of nearly a quarter of a million Jews dying at POW camps from the conditions. They found the German army co-operative, which they couldn't say with the Russian army. They had no access whatsoever to any camps within Russia. This report was from a neutral humanitarian organisation.

On November 1st 2005, the UN unanimously and without a vote, declared January 27th to be “International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust.” At the same time, the new resolution for this included an 'absolute rejection for any denial of the Holocaust as a historical event, either in full or part'. What does this mean?

It means that questioning the Holocaust is illegal. Talking about it being different to the official version is illegal. Finding evidence to question it is illegal, and such evidence will be - and has been - destroyed, to 'protect the memory and honour of those who died in the Holocaust.' The very fact I'm writing about it like this is, apparently, now illegal.

When questioning something is considered illegal, a step has been taken into a draconian, dictatorish way of life. "Don't question what we tell you, accept everything we say. It's the truth, because we say it is. If you don't believe us, we'll throw you in jail."

I never used to question it, but now I do, because now they're trying to hide something.