Vilnius – The Simon Wiesenthal Center’s chief Nazi-hunter Dr. Efraim Zuroff today submitted the names of twelve Lithuanians
suspected of murdering Jews during the Holocaust to Lithuanian
Special Prosecutor Rimvydas Valentukevicius and called upon
the Lithuanian authorities to expedite their investigation
of World War II cases. The names were discovered in the framework
of “Operation: Last Chance,” a joint project of the Center and the “Targum Shlishi Foundation” of Miami, Florida. So far the Center has received the names of 253 suspects
(196 from Lithuania), of which 67 have been submitted to prosecutors
(44 from Lithuania). The names submitted today were of suspects
who are alleged to have participated in the mass murder of
Jews from Aukstadvaris, Pandelis, Rokiskis, and Jurbarkas in
the summer of 1941.
Zuroff received an update on four of the
five murder investigations already initiated by Lithuanian
prosecutors in the wake of information received in” Operation: Last Chance.” So far there are at least 24 suspects involved.
Zuroff called for participation by Lithuanian
NGO’s in identifying local Nazi war criminals and documenting their crimes and suggested
that the Wiesenthal Center would consider helping to fund such
activities from “Operation: Last Chance” funds if it would facilitate prosecution and punishment of local murderers,
not a single one of whom has been punished since Lithuania
regained its independence in 1991.
For more information call: 972-51-214156
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