The Jewish communities of Vienna, Graz, Innsbruck, Linz and Salzburg have united in an official protest to Austrian Government authorities against the proposed granting of amnesty to former Nazis, who are presently imprisoned for war crimes.
The joint protest pointed out that among those who would be freed under terms of the amnesty are those “who were responsible for the atrocities which led to the extermination of Austrian Jewry.”
At the same time, the Jewish protest expressed opposition to the recommended compensation payments for the victims of Nazism in Austria. Reliable sources stated that the government is planning to compensate Nazi victims at the rate of about $17 for every month of imprisonment, the total sum to be paid out during the next four years. The communal protest said the proposed payments are too low.
The communities also demanded that the terms of the third restitution law be enacted to enable the Jews to get back the rights to their former homes.
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