▁confl ated ▁the ▁question ▁of ▁whether ▁his ▁father ▁des erved ▁release ▁with ▁that ▁of ▁his ▁father ' s ▁gu ilt ▁meant ▁that ▁many ▁people ▁would ▁take ▁H ess ' s ▁release ▁as ▁confirm ing ▁that ▁he ▁been ▁wrong ly ▁conv icted ▁at ▁N ure m berg . ▁The ▁fact ▁that ▁H ess ▁had ▁emer ged ▁as ▁a ▁hero ▁to ▁ne o - N azi ▁groups ▁in ▁West ▁Germany ▁further ▁increased ▁the ▁Soviet ▁unw illing ness ▁to ▁consider ▁his ▁release ▁as ▁Moscow ▁believed ▁that ▁H ess ▁would ▁speak ▁at ▁ne o - N azi ▁r al lies ▁if ▁he ▁could .   ▁ ▁The ▁fact ▁that ▁H ess ▁continued ▁to ▁be ▁an ▁ar dent ▁National ▁Social ist ▁and ▁anti - Sem ite ▁who ▁was ▁utter ly ▁un ap olog etic ▁about ▁his ▁actions ▁and ▁views ▁was ▁usually ▁ignored ▁by ▁those ▁champion ing ▁his ▁release , ▁who ▁port rayed ▁him ▁merely ▁as ▁a ▁har ml ess ▁old ▁man . ▁H ess ▁further ▁h inder ed ▁efforts ▁to ▁get ▁himself ▁released ▁by ▁prom ising ▁to ▁make ▁no ▁statements ▁to ▁the ▁media ▁if ▁he ▁were ▁released ▁and ▁being ▁repeatedly ▁discovered ▁by ▁his ▁gu ards ▁to ▁be ▁writing ▁media ▁statements ▁that ▁he ▁planned ▁to ▁release ▁if ▁he ▁were ▁released . ▁Between ▁ 1 9 7 7 – 1 9 8 6 , ▁H ess ▁used ▁Charles ▁G abel , ▁a ▁sympath etic ▁French ▁Protest ant ▁past or ▁serving ▁as ▁the ▁chap lain ▁at ▁Sp and au , ▁to ▁pass ▁on ▁messages ▁to ▁his ▁family ▁with ▁the ▁aim ▁of