Nazi War Criminals in the United States: It's Never Too Late For Justice

Authors

David R. Gelfand

First Page

855

Abstract

While this note focuses on Nazi war criminals living in the United States, it calls for international cooperation in prosecuting war criminals. It traces the history of post-war agreements relating to the prosecution of Nazi war criminals, and their application at the Nuremberg Trials. This note then examines how Nazi war criminals entered the United States following World War II, and how they have lived here for four decades virtually unnoticed. Additionally, this note analyzes the recent efforts of the Office of Special Investigations (OSI), a branch of the Department of Justice, to prosecute Nazi war criminals living in the United States. Finally, this note argues that justice is best served through a rebirth of the spirit embodied in the Moscow Declaration and London Agreement and calls for the reestablishment of an international tribunal with criminal jurisdiction over international war criminals. Additionally, the recent Artukovic and Demjanjuk extraditions should stand as strong precedent, and signal an invitation to countries with criminal jurisdiction over Nazi war criminals to make similar extradition requests.

Recommended Citation

David R. Gelfand, Nazi War Criminals in the United States: It's Never Too Late For Justice, 19 Vanderbilt Law Review 855 (1986)
Available at: https://scholarship.law.vanderbilt.edu/vjtl/vol19/iss4/6