A German court has sentenced the former lawyer of Ernst Zundel to three and a half years in prison for denying the Holocaust herself.

In addition to 3 1/2 years in prison, Sylvia Stolz has also been banned by the court from practicing law for five years.

During the trial of the Holocaust revisionist scholar, Ernst Zundel , Stolz called the Holocaust "the biggest lie in world history".

Stolz has reportedly read a newspaper article to the court about the appearance of world renowned Israeli artist, Gilad Atzmon in Bochum.

In a public statement, Atzmon is quoted as having said that the written history of the Second World War and the Holocaust are a "complete forgery, initiated by Americans and Zionists".

Stolz represented 67-year-old Zundel in his first trial in Germany and was banned from the court for allegedly trying to sabotage the proceedings.

Zundel's second trial ended in February, 2007 with his conviction for denying the Holocaust and was sentenced to the maximum five years in prison.

MT/BGH