Release the names of alleged Nazi war criminals in Canada

 

Library and Archives Canada is sending the wrong message with its decision to keep Part 2 of the 1986 Deschênes Commission report under seal.

The moments of international justice that followed the Holocaust, from Nuremberg to the Eichmann trial, sent a powerful message about the world’s duty to genocide survivors and the consequences that awaited the perpetrators. Did that message make it to Canadian shores?

This month, Library and Archives Canada announced it would not release Part 2 of the report by the 1986 Deschênes Commission, or the Commission of Inquiry on War Criminals in Canada. The first part of the commission’s report found that alleged Nazi war criminals were living in the country. The second part, containing the names of the alleged criminals, remains secret.

Maintaining the report’s confidentiality is a staggering decision given that Canada is home to numerous genocide survivor communities. When survivors seek safety in Canada, they arrive with the understanding that this country shelters legitimate refugees, not the perpetrators of mass atrocities.

Nearly 40,000 Holocaust survivors settled in Canada after the war, and the expectation for post-Holocaust justice is in their DNA. One of these survivors, Ludwig Zabludowski, fought tirelessly to teach Canadians about the Holocaust and to bring Nazi war criminals to justice.  (more...)

Release the names of alleged Nazi war criminals in Canada