WAS ABOUT TO BE DEPORTED TO GERMANY
Ex-Nazi interpreter Helmut Oberlander has died in Waterloo, Ont., family saysMaintaining he was 17 when forced to join Nazi death squad, he'd been in long battle to stay in Canada
CBC News · Posted: Sep 23, 2021
The federal government has been in a legal battle with Helmut Oberlander since 1995 to strip the former Nazi interpreter of his citizenship. Oberlander died on Wednesday at his home in Waterloo, Ont., his family said in a statement. (CIJA)
Helmut Oberlander, the former interpreter for a Nazi death squad during the Second World War, has died in Waterloo, Ont., according to his family.
Oberlander, 97, died in his home on Wednesday. A statement from his family said he was "surrounded by loved ones."
"Notwithstanding the challenges in his life, he remained strong in his faith," read the statement sent to CBC News by Oberlander's lawyer, Ronald Poulton. "He took comfort in his family and the support of many in his community. He gave generously to charity, supported his church and was a loving family man. He will be dearly missed."
Oberlander had been in a legal battle with the federal government to maintain his citizenship since 1995.
Earlier this month, Oberlander faced an admissibility hearing by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada about whether he could remain in Canada.
The federal government argued Oberlander lied to Canadian authorities about his wartime activities despite no evidence he took part in any atrocities.
Oberlander was born in Halbstadt, Ukraine, in 1924. He has steadfastly maintained he was just 17 when he was forced on pain of execution to join the Nazi death squad Einsatzkommando 10a, known as Ek 10a.
The squad was responsible for killing close to 100,000 people who were mostly Jewish. Oberlander was not accused of taking part in any executions.
He came to Canada in 1954 and became a citizen six years later.
WATCH | Jewish residents of Rostov-on-Don in Russia express outrage about Oberlander
Former Nazi interpreter living in Canada tries to stop deportation proceedings
Helmut Oberlander, the former interpreter for a Nazi death squad during the Second World War, has died in Waterloo, Ont., according to his family.
Oberlander, 97, died in his home on Wednesday. A statement from his family said he was "surrounded by loved ones."
"Notwithstanding the challenges in his life, he remained strong in his faith," read the statement sent to CBC News by Oberlander's lawyer, Ronald Poulton. "He took comfort in his family and the support of many in his community. He gave generously to charity, supported his church and was a loving family man. He will be dearly missed."
Oberlander had been in a legal battle with the federal government to maintain his citizenship since 1995.
Earlier this month, Oberlander faced an admissibility hearing by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada about whether he could remain in Canada.
The federal government argued Oberlander lied to Canadian authorities about his wartime activities despite no evidence he took part in any atrocities.
Oberlander was born in Halbstadt, Ukraine, in 1924. He has steadfastly maintained he was just 17 when he was forced on pain of execution to join the Nazi death squad Einsatzkommando 10a, known as Ek 10a.
The squad was responsible for killing close to 100,000 people who were mostly Jewish. Oberlander was not accused of taking part in any executions.
He came to Canada in 1954 and became a citizen six years later.
WATCH | Jewish residents of Rostov-on-Don in Russia express outrage about Oberlander
Former Nazi interpreter living in Canada tries to stop deportation proceedings
6 months ago News
Jewish residents of Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia are outraged that the former Nazi interpreter whose unit almost wiped out their community is 'living a quiet life' in Canada. WARNING: Some of the images in this story may be disturbing to some viewers. 6:17
Jewish residents of Rostov-on-Don in southern Russia are outraged that the former Nazi interpreter whose unit almost wiped out their community is 'living a quiet life' in Canada. WARNING: Some of the images in this story may be disturbing to some viewers. 6:17
Calls for accountability
In the summer of 1942, the Nazi death squads Oberlander worked for went to the Russian city of Rostov-on-Don, about 1,000 kilometres south of Moscow, and over a year and a half reportedly killed 27,000 people.
Chaim Danzinger, the rabbi in Rostov-on-Don who continues work to rebuild the community, told CBC News earlier this year that he has struggled to explain to the community how Canada handled Oberlander's case.
Oberlander himself has not been accused of carrying out the executions in Rostov-on-Don, but Danzinger said he should have been held accountable for his part in the massacre as a member of the unit responsible.
"[Oberlander] will certainly not be missed by the individuals and families who remember him for his role in the massacre in Rostov during the war," he said in an email to CBC.
"It is outrageous for them to hear that he died 'peacefully' when their relatives died horrifically in that mass killing, which he was never held accountable for. I do believe in divine justice and know that the ultimate judge will now mete out the consequences he deserves, but it's unfortunate society did not seek justice in this world."
Shimon Koffler Fogel, president and CEO of the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs, said in a statement that Oberlander "should have been deported decades ago to face justice in Germany."
"To honour Canadians' collective commitment to 'never again,' we call for a thorough review of the immigration and refugee system as it pertains to suspected war criminals, so that those alleged to have committed the most atrocious of crimes cannot evade judgment. This travesty of justice should never be allowed to occur again in Canada."
B'nai Brith issues statement
B'nai Brith Canada, an independent Jewish human rights organization, issued a statement Thursday saying the group was frustrated by Canada's failure to deport Oberlander.
"The peaceful demise of Helmut Oberlander on Canadian soil is a stain on our national conscience," said the group's chief executive officer, Michael Mostyn.
"The fact is that this country slammed its doors on Jewish refugees fleeing the Nazis, then allowed some of their tormentors into Canada and failed to deport them," Mostyn continued.
"We at B'nai Brith are proud of our decades-long fight on the Oberlander file and will continue the struggle to ensure that those who have attacked Jews and lied about it in order to enter Canada cannot remain in this country."
Nazi war crimes suspect in Canada dies before extradition to Germany
Helmut Oberlander, an ex-Nazi interpreter, had been fighting to stay in Canada for nearly 26 years. Before his death, he had argued that he was forcibly conscripted by the Nazis.
Officials tried to expel Helmut Oberlander, saying that he had hidden his role as a Nazi interpreter
An ex-Nazi interpreter, the last in Canada to face allegations connected to Nazi war crimes, has died at the age of 97, local media reported on Wednesday.
Helmut Oberlander, who was facing extradition, had been fighting to stay in Canada for nearly 26 years since police launched an investigation into his links to atrocities committed during World War II.
Oberlander died on Monday, just as the Canadian government was concluding the process for his extradition, The Globe and Mail newspaper reported.
Canadian officials tried to expel him on the basis that he had hidden his role as an interpreter for a Nazi death squad during Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union.
The Ukrainian-born immigrant died in his home on Monday. His family described him as a man of both faith and community. However, his critics and investigators saw him as a war criminal.
"Notwithstanding the challenges in his life, he remained strong in his faith. He took comfort in his family and the support of many in his community," the Oberlander family said in a statement.
Several expulsion attempts dodged
In December 2019, Canada's top court declined to review a decision to strip him of his citizenship for alleged ties to the Nazis in World War II. A federal court found that he had "significantly misrepresented his wartime activities to Canadian immigration and citizenship officials when he applied to enter Canada" in 1952, according to a legal summary of the case.
He was admitted in 1954 as a permanent resident, and obtained Canadian citizenship in 1960.
Immigration officials had tried to revoke his citizenship on several occasions. In 2001, 2007 and 2012, Canadian courts fought to take away his citizenship, but the decisions were set aside on appeal.
Each time, Oberlander argued that he was forcibly conscripted by the Nazis and that he had acted as an interpreter for the Einsatzkommando 10a death squad.
Critics call out flaws in justice system
Critics of the case have said the failure to revoke Oberlander's citizenship revealed flaws in the Canadian justice system.
"We need to revisit the whole process of bringing war criminals to justice," former justice minister and ex-Liberal MP Irwin Cotler told The Globe and Mail.
"We have war criminals residing in Canada from different killing fields," he added. "We have neither the investigative capacity nor the legal remedial approach to do what has to be done as effectively as possible."
Helmut Oberlander, an ex-Nazi interpreter, had been fighting to stay in Canada for nearly 26 years. Before his death, he had argued that he was forcibly conscripted by the Nazis.
Officials tried to expel Helmut Oberlander, saying that he had hidden his role as a Nazi interpreter
An ex-Nazi interpreter, the last in Canada to face allegations connected to Nazi war crimes, has died at the age of 97, local media reported on Wednesday.
Helmut Oberlander, who was facing extradition, had been fighting to stay in Canada for nearly 26 years since police launched an investigation into his links to atrocities committed during World War II.
Oberlander died on Monday, just as the Canadian government was concluding the process for his extradition, The Globe and Mail newspaper reported.
Canadian officials tried to expel him on the basis that he had hidden his role as an interpreter for a Nazi death squad during Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union.
The Ukrainian-born immigrant died in his home on Monday. His family described him as a man of both faith and community. However, his critics and investigators saw him as a war criminal.
"Notwithstanding the challenges in his life, he remained strong in his faith. He took comfort in his family and the support of many in his community," the Oberlander family said in a statement.
Several expulsion attempts dodged
In December 2019, Canada's top court declined to review a decision to strip him of his citizenship for alleged ties to the Nazis in World War II. A federal court found that he had "significantly misrepresented his wartime activities to Canadian immigration and citizenship officials when he applied to enter Canada" in 1952, according to a legal summary of the case.
He was admitted in 1954 as a permanent resident, and obtained Canadian citizenship in 1960.
Immigration officials had tried to revoke his citizenship on several occasions. In 2001, 2007 and 2012, Canadian courts fought to take away his citizenship, but the decisions were set aside on appeal.
Each time, Oberlander argued that he was forcibly conscripted by the Nazis and that he had acted as an interpreter for the Einsatzkommando 10a death squad.
Critics call out flaws in justice system
Critics of the case have said the failure to revoke Oberlander's citizenship revealed flaws in the Canadian justice system.
"We need to revisit the whole process of bringing war criminals to justice," former justice minister and ex-Liberal MP Irwin Cotler told The Globe and Mail.
"We have war criminals residing in Canada from different killing fields," he added. "We have neither the investigative capacity nor the legal remedial approach to do what has to be done as effectively as possible."
DW
No comments:
Post a Comment