Norwegian Nazi-hunting a failure
The Wiesenthal Center has prepared a report on the international pursuit of Nazi WWII war criminals. The document, which will be published later this summer, classes Norway's efforts a failure and gives the country a spot in the lowest group, newspaper Dagsavisen reports. Norway's statute of limitations is the main stumbling block.
The report grades countries from A - very successful - to F - total failure. Norway is in the final group, with Colombia, Venezuela, Sweden and lowest ranked Romania.
Norway has a statute of limitations of 25 years on all crimes, while international law puts no limit on the pursuit of genocide and crimes against humanity.
The Norwegian government is currently assessing proposed changes to legislation that would bring the country into line with the international stance on such crimes.
Professor of criminology at Oslo University, Per Ole Johansen, has researched Norway's post-war efforts to prosecute those who committed crimes against Jews.
"The great majority of those involved in the Norwegian persecution of Jews went free," Johansen said. He argues that post-war prosecutions were random and many of the worst offenders went free.
Via Aftenposten News in English.
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