Case against bol.com closed for anti-Semitic book sale

The Public Prosecution Service has decided to dismiss an anti-Semitic book sale against bol.com, because the company has now tightened its policy. That brought the prosecutor Thursday out.

In March 2020, the organization Federative Jewish Netherlands filed a report against bol.com, because the Nazi propaganda book the Toadstool on the website was provided by a third party. Despite the dismissal, the Public Prosecution Service states that bol.com has acted criminally by offering this book for sale. With the policy change of bol.com, an important goal of possible prosecution has already been achieved, according to the Public Prosecution Service.

The policy change means that bol.com will screen the range of books in advance as much as possible and will remove anti-Semitic literature from the website on the basis of reports. The company has said it does not want to contribute to the sale of anti-Semitic books. In September, when research by television program zembla turned out that Bol.com still offers dozens of books that propagate Nazi ideas, a company spokesperson told NRC “not being able to pre-check all of the millions of books it sells on its website.”

Bol.com made the book shortly after the declaration of the Federal Jewish Netherlands the Toadstool from sale. Ernst Hiemer’s children’s book, published by founder of nazipropagandablad The striker Julius Streicher, tells a propaganda story about the alleged dangers of Jews through the metaphor of an attractive but deadly mushroom.