Simon
Wiesenthal Center says dozens of living Nazis have evaded
justice 66 years after war ends.
The Simon Wiesenthal Center opened a new front against the
Nazis on Tuesday, 66 years after the end of World War II.
At a press conference in Germany, the global Jewish human rights organization
known for pursuing Nazis, launched “Operation Last Chance
II” aimed at bringing men who served in Nazi death camps
and the Einsatzgruppen (special mobile killing squads) to
justice.
The center wants to use the conviction of Sobibor death camp guard Ivan “John”
Demjanjuk this past May as a precedent to try “several dozen”
similar cases.
“The Demjanjuk conviction at long last enables the prosecution of individuals
who were active participants in the mass murder of Jews on
practically a daily basis for extended periods of time, but
for legal reasons could not be prosecuted for their crimes,”
said Efraim Zuroff, the center’s Israel director. “This travesty
of justice can now be corrected, but we are in a race against
time to find the individuals still alive and expedite their
prosecution.”
The center is offering cash awards
for information leading to the conviction of Nazi criminals.
Individuals are promised 5,000 euros upon indictment of a
suspect, 5,000 euros upon the suspect’s conviction and 100
euros a day for the first 150 days of the convicted suspect’s
imprisonment. Those who help convict Nazis may receive up
to 25,000 euros.
Zuroff said a high-ranking Nazi is
in his sights but that he cannot reveal his name because
of an ongoing criminal investigation.
“I am not saying who because he’s
a flight risk,” Zuroff said. “This person was a commander
and involved in very serious actions against Jews.”
In addition to the unnamed suspect,
Zuroff said Klaas Carel Farber, an SS hitman in the Netherlands
alleged to have murdered 22 people, is the most senior Nazi
known to be alive today.
Zuroff categorically rejected the
notion that perpetrators of crimes against Jews – who are
now at least well into their 80s – die in peace.
“The answer is very simple,” Zuroff
said. “Old age does not exonerate murderers. All of the victims
deserve efforts to find their killers. It sends an important
message to Nazis living freely that they will be brought
to justice.” jpost.com
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