Wiesenthal Center Harshly Criticizes Kiev March to Mark Birthday of Ukrainian Nazi Collaborator Stefan Bandera

Jerusalem-The Simon Wiesenthal Center today harshly criticized a march held this past Thursday in Kiev to mark the 106th anniversary of thebirth of Ukrainian nationalist hero Stefan Bandera, who collaborated with the Nazis during the initial stage of the German occupation of Ukraine. In a statement issued here by its Israel director, Holocaust historian Dr.Efraim Zuroff, the Center noted Bandera's role in Holocaust crimes and the tens of thousands of Jewish victims murdered in Ukraine during the initial months of the Germanoccupation.

According to Zuroff:
"Holocaust perpetrators are the last people on earth who deserve to be glorified, regardless of their nationalist credentials. Thisphenomenon, currently so common in post-Communist Eastern Europe, and especially in Ukraine and the Baltics, clearly shows that these countries don't fully comprehend the obligations of truedemocracy."

For more information: Dr. Efraim Zuroff 972.50.721.4156, Twitter: @EZuroff, join the Center on Facebook,www.facebook.com/simonwiesenthalcenter, or follow @simonwiesenthal 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 families in theUnited 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).