Taurage, Lithuania – The Simon Wiesenthal Center today praised an op-ed in the popular Lithuanian news portal lrytas.lt by prominent journalist Vytautas Bruveris calling upon the government to finally undertake a comprehensive investigation of the scope of Lithuanian complicity in Holocaust crimes. In a statement issued here today by its chief Nazi hunter, Dr. Efraim Zuroff, who is currently in Lithuania on a research expedition, the Center expressed its appreciation and support for the content of the article and expressed the hope that the government would indeed implement the ideas raised by Bruveris.
According to Zuroff:
“This important article by Bruveris, following a recent op-ed in the same spirit by journalist Rimvydas Valatka (on July 26 in www.delfi.com), points to growing awareness in the circles of Lithuanian intelligentsia of the necessity to finally fully investigate the role and scope of Lithuanian collaborators in Holocaust crimes. Also of great significance is the call to stop the glorification of Lithuanian freedom fighters who actively participated in the murder of Jews during the Holocaust. These public calls for such an investigation will hopefully mark a positive turning point in the history of Lithuania’s dealing with its Holocaust past and, if acted upon, will no doubt significantly help improve Lithuanian-Jewish relations.”
For more information call Efraim Zuroff +972-50-7214156
Twitter: @EZuroff
www.operationlastchance.org
www.wiesenthal.com