Court clears Mein Kampf bookseller of hate crimes

The Court of Appeals in Amsterdam cleared Amsterdam gallery owner Michiel van Eyck of hate crime charges for selling Adolf Hitler's book Mein Kampf. The case ended up with the court of appeals after the judiciary appealed against a November 2014 verdict in which Van Eyck received no punishment, AT5 reports.

This case dates from October 2013. Nationwide upset arose when the Federated Jewish Netherlands pressed charges against Van Eyck for selling Mein Kampf in his store, which offers historical objects for sale.

According to the court, Van Eyck offered the book for sale in historical terms, and there is thus no question of hate speech. He also sells other historical objects, including figurines of Lenin and Churchill.

"I don't only sell Mein Kampf, but also the diary of Anne Frank", Van Eyck previously said to the Amsterdam broadcaster. "Basically anything that has historical relevance."