Wiesenthal Center Objects to Vandalization of Plaque Honoring Nazi Collaborator Jonas Noreika

The Plaque is an Abomination But This is Not the Way to Get it Taken Down

Jerusalem-The Simon Wiesenthal Center objects to the shattering today with a sledgehammer by a Lithuanian political activistStanislovas Tomas of a plaque honoring Nazi war criminal Jonas Noreika (for his leadership of the post-World War II Lithuanian resistance to the Soviet occupation) in the Lithuanian Academy ofSciences in Vilnius (Vilna).

In a statement issued here today by the Center's Director of Eastern European Affairs Dr. Efraim Zuroff, the Center registered itsopposition to such actions, despite its position that any honors to Noreika should be immediately removed due to his active role in the persecution, murder, and robbery of the Jews ofnorthwestern Lithuania, where he was the Lithuanian liaison to the Nazi occupiers.

According to Zuroff:

"The plaque honoring Noreika in the Academy of Sciences is a horrific insult to the memory of the victims of the Holocaust inLithuania and to the intelligence of Lithuania's residents, but this is not the way to get rid of it. Violence will only strengthen the case of Noreika's supporters and make it harder to removeit by peaceful means. The way to do so, is to produce the damning facts regarding Noreika's active role in the crimes against the Jews of northwestern Lithuania and make them public, therebyexposing the lies being propagated by the Genocide and Resistance Research Center, at the behest of the Lithuanian government."

For additional information: Call the Wiesenthal Center Israel office:972-2-563-1274/5 or 972-50-721-4156, join the Center onFacebook, www.facebook.com/simonwiesenthalcenter, or follow @simonwiesenthal @EZuroff for news updates sent direct to your Twitter feed.

The Simon Wiesenthal Center is one of the largest international Jewish human rights organizations with over 400,000 member familiesin the United States. It is an NGO at international agencies including the United Nations, UNESCO, the OSCE, the OAS, the Council of Europe and the Latin American Parliament (Parlatino).

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