Скачать или смотреть GERMANY: GERMAN GOVERNMENT APPLIES TO EXTRADITE ERICH PRIEBKE

(13 Aug 1996) German/Eng/Nat

The German government has formally applied for the extradition of former S-S captain Erich Priebke from Italy.

Argentina, where Priebke lived for decades after the Second World War, would have to give its consent for Italy to extradite him to Germany.

Argentina's approval to extradite Priebke to Italy stipulated he could not be sent to a third country without permission.

The case of Priebke has focused attention on the failure of the world to bring war criminals to justice.

Jewish groups across the world say justice authorities have long been reluctant to pursue the authors of Second World War atrocities.

The Documentation Centre on Nazi Crimes, in the German town of Ludwigsburg.

The archives here contain details of some of the most chilling crimes of the 20th century.

It's an important historical record and may help prevent the world from forgetting the evil perpetrated by the Nazis in the name of National Socialism.

But as its yellowing files indicate, it's caught in a race with time.

Many of the suspects have already died peacefully in their beds and just three dozen cases remain open.

And experience has taught that the perpetrators are unlikely to be convicted.

SOUNDBITE: (German)
After the war, some 106-thousand, 178 judicial investigations were carried out. Of that number only six-thousand, 494 were sentenced. Twelve of those were sentenced to death before the death sentence was banned and 166 were sentenced to life-long imprisonment. Of the number of those sentenced, six-thousand 200 were sentenced for a certain number of years in imprisonment. In total, 98-thousand 52 cases were concluded without punishment."
SUPER CAPTION: Wille Dressen, assistant chief archivist Documentation Centre on Nazi Crimes

Michel Friedman, a lawyer and leading member of Germany's Central Council of Jews, says justice authorities have been slow to pursue war crimes suspects.

SOUNDBITE:
"I believe that the world and Europe is not and was not very active in looking for and to say and work out all these principles in the legal structures after 1945. The exception was the trial, the exception was the judgement, the exception was that which happened
after the Nuremberg trials. Not only in Germany but in France, Italy and all these countries. This is a shaming, this is a problem, and Priebke is one of the chapters which demonstrates that we didn't show the face of justice there were it was necessary and with which energy I would have liked to see."
SUPER CAPTION: Michel Friedman, Central Council of Jews

Former S-S captain Erich Priebke was the latest alleged Nazi war criminal to go on trial.

But the difficulty of obtaining a conviction in cases of this sort was underlined at his trial in Italy.

A military tribunal convicted Priebke of involvement in the 1944 Nazi massacre of 335
civilians at the Ardeatine Caves outside Rome.

But the court said aggravating circumstances of cruelty and premeditation, needed to get around a 30-year statute of limitations on murder, did not apply to Priebke's actions.

It freed him - but Priebke was soon returned to jail when protesters - mostly members of Rome's Jewish community - mobbed the courthouse.

And after Germany indicated it would seek his extradition, Priebke was formally re- arrested.

On Tuesday, Germany formally announced it would seek his extradition.

Prosecutors say they are confident that under German laws, they will be able to convict him.

SOUNDBITE: (German)
SUPER CAPTION: Hermann Weissing, state prosecutor in Priebke case



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