The cabinet has decided not to reveal a confidential federal blacklist of Nazi fugitives.According to Blacklock’s Reporter, government departments refused to answer questions about when the confidential list, promised to be released by the cabinet seven weeks ago, would be made public.“There is a process in place,” Attorney General Arif Virani told reporters on September 27. “We have a war crimes unit.”In 1985, the Commission of Inquiry on War Crimes was led by Justice Jules Deschenes from the Québec Court of Appeal. This inquiry created a confidential list of 20 individuals who were recommended to be prosecuted for their involvement in war crimes. This list has been kept confidential for 38 years.“Our history with Nazis and their presence in Canada is a dark history and it’s a difficult legacy and it’s been particularly painful for the Jewish community in particular but all survivors of the Holocaust,” said Virani. “What I can say to you is that senior officials within our government are actively looking at the Deschenes Commission report and will be making recommendations on the options that will become available in the immediate future.”“Do you support reopening the Deschenes report?” asked a reporter. “What I will always support is ensuring people who have perpetrated war crimes or crimes against humanity or crimes like genocide are brought to justice,” replied Virani.The department of justice chose not to provide any information when questioned about when the blacklist would be made public.Advocate groups such as B'nai Brith Canada, the Canadian Historical Association, and Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre have asked numerous times for the list to be made public.“There’s no excuse for delay other than the fact that we do have to have a process where the declassification of these documents is done in a thoughtful way,” Immigration Minister Marc Miller told reporters on October 4. Miller said he had not seen the blacklist. “It is secret, so I don’t know what’s in it either,” he said.“There are appendices I understand name names of people,” Miller told reporters. “I understand there are many groups, including leading Jewish advocacy groups that are demanding release of those names.”“What could possibly be in it that still needs to be classified?” asked a reporter. “Good point,” replied Miller.“It is work that will require sensitivity. It will require a little bit of time and some work by people that put some thought into what elements get declassified.”Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also said the government would share some information from government records.“We have made sure there are top public servants who are looking very carefully into the issue, including digging into the archives, and they’re going to make recommendations to the relevant ministers,” Trudeau earlier told reports.Fresh calls for the release of the 1985 blacklist followed the Commons’ mistaken September 22 tribute to Yaroslav Hunka, 98, of North Bay, ON, a volunteer with the 14 Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS. The 1946 Nuremberg Tribunal censured the Waffen SS as a criminal organization.Advocates demanding the names of Nazi fugitives noted Canada is a signatory to the Berlin-based International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. Member countries must commit to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the opening of archives in order to ensure all documents bearing on the Holocaust are available to researchers.”
The cabinet has decided not to reveal a confidential federal blacklist of Nazi fugitives.According to Blacklock’s Reporter, government departments refused to answer questions about when the confidential list, promised to be released by the cabinet seven weeks ago, would be made public.“There is a process in place,” Attorney General Arif Virani told reporters on September 27. “We have a war crimes unit.”In 1985, the Commission of Inquiry on War Crimes was led by Justice Jules Deschenes from the Québec Court of Appeal. This inquiry created a confidential list of 20 individuals who were recommended to be prosecuted for their involvement in war crimes. This list has been kept confidential for 38 years.“Our history with Nazis and their presence in Canada is a dark history and it’s a difficult legacy and it’s been particularly painful for the Jewish community in particular but all survivors of the Holocaust,” said Virani. “What I can say to you is that senior officials within our government are actively looking at the Deschenes Commission report and will be making recommendations on the options that will become available in the immediate future.”“Do you support reopening the Deschenes report?” asked a reporter. “What I will always support is ensuring people who have perpetrated war crimes or crimes against humanity or crimes like genocide are brought to justice,” replied Virani.The department of justice chose not to provide any information when questioned about when the blacklist would be made public.Advocate groups such as B'nai Brith Canada, the Canadian Historical Association, and Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre have asked numerous times for the list to be made public.“There’s no excuse for delay other than the fact that we do have to have a process where the declassification of these documents is done in a thoughtful way,” Immigration Minister Marc Miller told reporters on October 4. Miller said he had not seen the blacklist. “It is secret, so I don’t know what’s in it either,” he said.“There are appendices I understand name names of people,” Miller told reporters. “I understand there are many groups, including leading Jewish advocacy groups that are demanding release of those names.”“What could possibly be in it that still needs to be classified?” asked a reporter. “Good point,” replied Miller.“It is work that will require sensitivity. It will require a little bit of time and some work by people that put some thought into what elements get declassified.”Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also said the government would share some information from government records.“We have made sure there are top public servants who are looking very carefully into the issue, including digging into the archives, and they’re going to make recommendations to the relevant ministers,” Trudeau earlier told reports.Fresh calls for the release of the 1985 blacklist followed the Commons’ mistaken September 22 tribute to Yaroslav Hunka, 98, of North Bay, ON, a volunteer with the 14 Waffen Grenadier Division of the SS. The 1946 Nuremberg Tribunal censured the Waffen SS as a criminal organization.Advocates demanding the names of Nazi fugitives noted Canada is a signatory to the Berlin-based International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. Member countries must commit to “take all necessary steps to facilitate the opening of archives in order to ensure all documents bearing on the Holocaust are available to researchers.”
