Canada Intends to Prosecute Nazis, Prime Minister Assures Jewish Group

Prime Minister Brian Mulroney found it necessary last week to reassure Jewish leaders that he is still firmly committed to bringing Nazi war criminals living in Canada to justice.

Mulroney’s personal telephone call to Milton Harris, chairman of the Canadian Jewish Congress War Crimes Committee, followed a disturbing encounter between a CJC delegation ad Justice Minister Kim Campbell on June 21.

Members of the delegation who came to Ottawa from all parts of the country for a meeting planned three weeks earlier were stunned when Campbell stormed out of the room after learning that the CJC had alerted the news media to the meeting.

But behind the episode was mounting frustration over the government’s failure to win a single conviction since Parliament amended the Criminal Code in 1987 to allow Canadian courts to try war criminals for offenses committed abroad.

But despite the setbacks and numerous delays, Mulroney assured Harris the war crimes issue is still an important governmental concern.

“I was president of CJC in 1983 when Mr. Mulroney was leader of the opposition,” said Harris. “He made a personal commitment to me to move on the war crimes dossier, and he totally delivered on his word.”

“Time is running out. Witnesses are dying,” Harris said. “It is time for the government to give a clear sign that it still believes in this issue by recognizing the urgency surrounding it.”

Harris said he was much more optimistic after Mulroney’s call. “our main purpose in wishing to meet with Ms. Campbell was to get some reassurance,” he said. “Her rebuff did not give us much confidence.”

But I really Canada appreciate the fact that the prime minister of Canada considered this an important enough issue to call me and give me the reassurance that we did not receive from the justice minister.”