The B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission (ADC) has welcomed the sentencing of former SS Sergeant at the Auschwitz death camp Reinhold Hanning to five years in jail. The 94-year-old Hanning was found guilty by a German court of being an accessory to the murder of at least 170,000 people.
Dr Dvir Abramovich, Chairman of the ADC, issued the following statement:
“This is another small measure of justice for Holocaust victims and survivors. We commend the German authorities for making it clear that that there is no safe haven for Nazi killers no matter how old they are. This trial and deserved conviction of Hanning send an unequivocal message that the day of judgement awaits the remaining Nazi criminals and their accomplices and that they will be punished for their wicked deeds. Such efforts also give hope and comfort to victims of other acts of genocide that their tormentors will be apprehended and will be held accountable. We urge all states, including the Australian government, to maximise their efforts in identifying, arresting and prosecuting the last surviving Nazi henchman who were part of the Third Reich’s machinery of evil. With the number of survivors and witnesses diminishing by the day, such actions are a timely reminder that the Holocaust must never fade into the pages of history, and that each nation has a responsibility to confront the ever growing threat of anti-Semitism, intolerance and hate.”
The Anti-Defamation Commission, founded in 1979, is Australia’s leading organization fighting anti-Semitism through educational programs that combat bigotry, prejudice and all forms of hatred.
For further information please contact Dr Dvir Abramovich on (03) 9272 5677