The Simon Wiesenthal Center revealed today that it had received official confirmation
from the Lithuanian Prosecutor-General’s Office that three new murder investigations have been initiated by the Lithuanian
authorities based on information submitted to the Center in
the framework of “Operation: Last Chance,” a joint project of the Center and the Targum Shlishi Foundation of Miami, Florida,
which offers financial rewards for information leading to the
prosecution and punishment of Nazi war criminals. In a statement
issued in Jerusalem by Israel director Dr. Efraim Zuroff, who
coordinates the project, the Center welcomed the opening of
the investigations but warned that unless the cases were given
priority treatment, it was doubtful whether any of the guilty
would actually be tried and punished for their crimes.
According to Zuroff, the new investigations
concerned the murder of Jews and non-Jews in Aukstadvaris (Trakai
district), Pandelis (Rokiskis district),and the area of Jurbarkas.
All the murders took place in 1941.
“ This brings the number of murder investigations opened in Lithuania
in the wake of the initiation of “Operation:Last Chance” in July 2002 to eight and we are hopeful that at least some of the several dozen
suspects currently under investigation will finally be brought to trial and be
held accountable for their crimes. This will only happen, however, if these cases
will be given high-priority treatment.”
To date, the Wiesenthal Center has received
the names of 196 suspects from Lithuania, 41 from Latvia, 13
from the Ukraine, and 6 from Estonia of which 67 have been
submitted to local prosecutors. In addition, the Center has
received the names of an additional dozen suspects from Poland,
Austria, and Romania where the project is only in its initial
stages.
For more information call: 972-51-214156
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