BELGRADE, NOVI SAD -- Protests were staged in Belgrade and Novi Sad on Sunday
caused by Hungarian court's acquittal of Sandor Kepiro.
Kepiro is a former member of the fascist Hungarian forces occupying Serbia, who
was accused of war crimes committed during
the infamous Novi Sad massacre in 1942.
The participants of the Belgrade protest, organized by the Holocaust memorial
society, said the acquittal was unacceptable
and that Kepiro must be found guilty before
a court of higher instance. The protesters
in Novi Sad demanded that the Serbian Office
of the War Crimes Prosecutor raise its own
indictment against Kepiro.
One
of the organizers of the Belgrade protest,
Avram Izrael, told the crowd the goal of the
two protests was to express disagreement with
the unjust verdict by the court in Budapest.
He added there was evidence Kepiro took part
in the Novi Sad massacre.
Deputy
War Crimes Prosecutor Bruno Vekarić was at
the Belgrade protest. He told reporters that
the applause in the courtroom when the verdict
was announced "left an impression on all normal people across the world."
"I
am not certain that Anders Breivik missed
the applause before he killed all those youths
in Norway. It is a terrible message to extremists
around the world and such messages mock the
victims," Vekarić stated.
The
Office of the War Crimes Prosecutor hads provided
all the necessary files and witness statements
to Hungarian colleagues, he noted, adding
that the verdict by a court of higher instance
is now expected.
The
protesters prayed in Greek and Hebrew. The
rally was supported by Simon Wiesenthal Center
Director Efraim Zuroff as well, who sent a
letter to the organizers.
People
who witnessed the Novi Sad massacre in January
1942 shared their experience with those gathered
at the Novi Sad protest.
The
organizers demanded that the Novi Sad authorities
build a monument dedicated to the victims
of the massacre.
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