Concern Expressed for South American Opponent of Sheltering War Criminals

The Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith has expressed fear for the safety of a South American human rights leader jailed by the government of Paraguay.

The ADL reported that Domingo Laino, a former member of the Paraguayan Chamber of Deputies and vice-president of an opposition political party, was arrested one day after returning from a recent visit to the United States. After intensive interrogation he was incarcerated in Tacumbo prison in Asuncion to await trial on charges made against him and other political leaders in 1976 of violating law 209 which “defends democracy and personal freedom.”

According to Rabbi Morton Rosenthal, director of ADL’s Latin American Affairs Department, Laino is in the forefront of the opposition to sheltering Nazi war criminals in Paraguay and to the violations of human rights by the dictatorial regime of General Alfredo Stroessner.”

Rosenthal noted that it was “ominous” that Laino was arrested early this month immediately upon his return from a six-week visit to the U.S. during which he publicly criticized Paraguay’s violations of human rights and its official hospitality to Nazi war criminals. While in the U.S., Laino met with officials of the State Department, members of both Houses of Congress and the Human Rights Commission of the Organization of American States.

SOUGHT TO REVOKE MENGELE’S CITIZENSHIP

“These actions,” Rosenthal added, “have placed Laino in great jeopardy.” He added that this is an obvious attempt by the regime to silence” a courageous voice for human rights fearlessly proposing that the government investigate the Nazi influence in Paraguay and to revoke the citizenship of the most infamous of all Nazi war criminals, Dr. Joseph Mengele, the sadist who performed inhuman experiments on concentration victims in Auschwitz.” Mengele was granted Paraguyan citizenship in November, 1959.

Concern for Laino’s safety was intense, Rosenthal said, because officials of the Paraguayan government at first denied any knowledge of his arrest; he was snatched from his car by men in civilian clothing.

He praised the swift action of the American ambassador to Paraguay, Robert White, who “expressed our government’s concern in urgent terms” and is maintaining a close observation of the situation. Rosenthal said that the U.S. must maintain its interest in Laino’s treatment to help insure a fair and open trial.