Wiesenthal Center Los Angeles
Jerusalem - The Simon Wiesenthal Center today protested the utter failure this
past Sunday of the Austrian authorities to prevent or stop
the widespread use of Croatian fascist Ustasha symbols
at a gathering of Croatian nationalist extremists held
in Bleiburg, Austria.
In a statement issued in Jerusalem
and transmitted orally to the Deputy Chief of Mission of
the Austrian Embassy in Israel, the Center's chief Nazi-hunter,
Israel director, Dr. Efraim Zuroff called for a full investigation
of the events at Bleiburg and for steps to be taken to
prevent their recurrence.
According to Zuroff:
"The fascist demonstrators
at Bleiburg made a mockery of Austria's ban on the use
of Nazi symbols and its law against Holocaust denial by
showing up in Ustasha uniforms and waving photographs of
Ustasha leader Ante Pavelic, the person most responsible
for the genocide carried out by the Croatian state (NDH)
against Serbs, Jews and Gypsies during World War II.
"Is it any wonder that
Austria continues to give haven to Croatian war criminal
Milivoj Ashner, who lives in nearby Klagenfurt? If nationalist
extremists can parade in Ustasha uniforms in 2007, today's
Austria is obviously sympathetic to Ashner, whose extradition
to stand trial in Croatia for his crimes as Pozega police
chief has been blocked by Austria for over a year and a
half."
juedische.at
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