Bishop who denied Holocaust under criminal investigation

BERLIN, Germany (CNN) - A German district attorney said Wednesday he has
launched a criminal investigation against a Roman Catholic bishop who denied
the Nazis had intentionally murdered 6 million Jews.

Regensburg District Attorney Guenther Ruckdaeschel said authorities are
investigating whether the remarks by Bishop Richard Williamson can be
considered "inciting racial hatred." Denying the Holocaust is a crime according
to the German criminal code and punishable by up to five years in prison.

Ruckdaeschel says he launched the investigation January 23 after learning
about an interview Williamson gave to Swedish Public Broadcasting. In the
interview, Williamson denied the Nazis had used gas chambers at concentration
camps.

"I believe that the historical evidence is strongly against - is hugely
against - 6 million Jews having been deliberately gassed in gas chambers as a
deliberate policy of Adolf Hitler," Williamson said in the interview, which
also appeared on various Web sites after broadcast. "I believe there were no
gas chambers."

The remarks have sparked anger and outrage around the world, some of
which is aimed at the Vatican and Pope Benedict XVI.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel demanded Tuesday that the pope firmly
reject denial of the Holocaust and make clear that there must be positive
relations with the Jewish community.