A military tribunal in Bari has decided that Walter Reder, 65, a former SS major and the last convicted Nazi war criminal in Italy, will be granted full liberty in five years. He has been imprisoned since he received a life term in 1951 for ordering the killing of more than 600 civilians in Marzabotto in Tuscany, central Italy, in 1941. The Marzabotto Town Council has repeatedly said that Reder’s release would insult the memory of those who died in the massacre.
The tribunal, which revoked the life sentence, said he was still considered a war criminal and would have to remain in jail for another five years under supervised detention. It said the decision was taken after considering Reder’s good conduct and the time he has already served.
CORRECTION
A story on the Jerusalem Women’s Seminar in the News Bulletin July 14 incorrectly transposed the cities where the two founders and coordinators are from Phyllis Kaminsky is from Johnstown, Pa., not Montreal. Elaine Dubow, not Dubnow, is from Montreal, not Johnstown, Pa.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.