By Daniel M. Austin
Impunity Watch Reporter, Europe
BUDAPEST, Hungary – On Monday, Budapest prosecutors charged a former Hungarian paramilitary officer for his role in the massacre of 1,200 civilians in the city of Novi Sad during World War II. The war crimes charged against the former officer, Sandor Kepiro, comes nearly seventy years after the January 1942 massacre. He was indicted after years of diplomatic pressure from the Simon Wiesenthal Center which had listed Mr. Kepiro as its number one most wanted Nazi war criminal.
The Budapest Investigating Prosecutor’s Office has charged the 96 year old with war crimes for his participation in a raid by Hungarian armed forces on the Serbian city of Novi Sad. The crime involved the killing of unarmed civilians by the invading Hungarian forces. Specifically, the prosecutors allege that Mr. Kepiro helped round up and ordered the execution of hundreds of people during the massacre which took place between January 21 and 23, 1942. Those killed in the attack were mostly Jews, Serbs, and Roma civilians. Novi Sad is a city located in the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina.
On Monday, Mr. Kepiro proclaimed his innocence and denied he committed any of these acts. Additionally, he claims he is bed ridden and can’t leave his home. Records indicate that he fled Europe after World War II ended and went to Argentina. He remained there for several decades and then returned to Budapest in 1996. In 2006, the Simon Wiesenthal Center obtained information that Mr. Kepiro was living Budapest and pressed the Hungarian government to charge him. The Hungarian government claims that it had known about Mr. Kepiro’s location for several years but was unable to charge him and go forward with their case because of the country’s bureaucracy.
Located in Los Angeles, California, the Simon Wiesenthal Center is dedicated to the continued search for Nazi war criminals throughout the world. Mr. Kepiro had been at the top of the group’s most wanted list of war criminals because of his involvement in this massacre. The massacre at Novi Sad occurred at a time when Hungary was a close ally of Nazi Germany. During this period more than 500,000 Hungarian Jews and more than 50,000 Roma were killed.
For more information, please see:
DEUTSCHE WELLE – Hungary charges former officer with wartime massacre in Serbia – 15 February 2011
IRISH TIMES – Hungary charges former police captain with massacre in 1942 – 15 February 2011
JTA – Accused Nazi killer charged in Budapest – 15 February 2011
NEW YORK TIMES – Hungary: 96-Year-Old Charged in 1942 Mass Killings – 15 February 2011
YNET NEWS – Hungarian man charged with WW2 war crimes in Serbia – 15 February 2011
AFP – ‘Most wanted Nazi war criminal’ charged in Hungary – 14 February 2011
