Several protests were recorded today against a renewed request by the Austrian Government to the Italian Government for the extradition of Col. Hubert Kappler. former German SS officer who is serving a life sentence for war crimes, including responsibility for the Ardeatine Caves massacre and the requisitioning of a huge sum in gold from Rome Jews. He was convicted of the crimes as head of the Nazi security police during the German occupation of Rome.
The Austrian Government request has stirred widespread opposition in Italy, principally because of a belief that once Kappler is in Austria, he will not continue to pay the penalty for his war crimes
The latest protest was made today by the National Association of the Families of the Martyrs Fallen for the Freedom of Their Country, The Association, noting that Kappler had been sentenced by the Italian Supreme Military Court, said that granting extradition would amount to the Italian Government giving up its duty to punish criminals for crimes committed on Italian territory.
The Association disagreed with forecasts that if Kappler was extradited and. as was very likely, tried and convicted in Austrian courts, he would probably get a life sentence in an Austrian prison. The Association expressed fears that Austrian courts might give Kappler a lighter sentence, in effect giving him absolution for the crimes he committed in Italy.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
