PARIS, March 8, 2007 (AFP) – The Nazi-hunting Simon Wiesenthal Center was convicted of defamation by a Paris court on Thursday for accusing a French-based group of financing Palestinian militants.
The Committee for Charity and Support for the Palestinians (CBSP) filed suit against the centre’s head of international relations, Stanley Trevor Samuels, after he claimed it sent funds to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers.
The CBSP has dismissed the charges as “ridiculous”, saying it worked to support 3,000 Palestinian orphans.
Samuel was handed a suspended fine of 1,000 euros (1,300 dollars) and ordered to pay one euro in symbolic damages to the Palestinian support group over what the court described as “seriously defamatory” allegations.