Bucharest – The Simon Wiesenthal Center’s chief Nazi-hunter Israel director Dr. Efraim Zuroff, met here today with Romanian Prosecutor-General Dr. Ilie Botos and urged him to expedite the investigations of four Romanians suspected of participating in the persecution and/or murder of Jews during the Holocaust who were discovered by the Center in the framework of its “Operation: Last Chance” project launched in Romania in September 2003. The cases in question were submitted by Dr. Zuroff to Dr. Botos in February 8, 2005 and include former members of the Iron Guard, as well as Romanian Army personnel who committed crimes against Jews in Romania and/or in areas outside her borders.
Dr. Botos indicated to Zuroff that the investigations would be completed within the next two months at which time his office would decided which, if any of the suspects, would be prosecuted. He made clear, however, that the preliminary research already conducted had produced evidence to support the allegations against at least several of the suspects.
In response, Zuroff stressed the urgency of completing the investigations as quickly as possible and prosecuting Romanian Holocaust perpetrators as a mean of helping Romania face the complicity of its government and numerous Romanians in Holocaust crimes. “Such trials,” said Zuroff, “will have unique significance as they will be the first of their kind in democratic Romania and as such, will hopefully provide a highly-important and badly-needed history lesson for all of Romanian society.”
For more information call +972-50-721-4156.