A request that the Austrian Government conduct a new trial for Jan Verbelen, the former Nazi general and leader of the Belgian Fascists, who was acquitted in Vienna last week of charges of participation in mass killings in Belgium during World War II, was made here today by a group of Jews who had fought in the Belgian resistance during the war. The request was made in a letter to the Austrian Ambassador here.
At the same time, protests over Verbelen’s acquittal continued to mount here today from many other sources. The Belgian Government announced it agrees with these sentiments and said it would receive authorized representatives of various Belgian patriotic organizations who wish to file their protests. At a meeting of the Council of Ministers today, Deputy Foreign Minister Henri Fayat reported formally on the Verbelen case and the man’s acquittal by a Vienna court.
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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.