NAZIS IN AUSTRALIA
Nazis in Australia reveals for the first time the incredible story of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) that investigated over 840 allegations that persons responsible for war crimes in Europe during World War II made their way to Australia. The SIU tracked down these Nazis collaborators who later made their home in Australia.
The former ABC investigative journalist, Mark Aarons, spent a decade researching and investigating allegations that there were Nazi collaborators living in this country. His work culminated in a series of ABC radio ‘Background Briefing’ programs in 1986 detailing the results of his work, which established that a significant number of Nazi collaborators and war criminals – particularly from Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania and Yugoslavia – had settled in Australia after World War II.
A public outcry followed resulting in the federal government of Bob Hawke creating the SIU in 1987 to investigate the revelations and allegations and to bring prosecutions in the criminal courts of Australia if there was sufficient evidence to do so.
‘Nazis in Australia’ gathers the recollections of historians, archaeologists, police investigators, lawyers, translators and others to create a detailed insider’s account of the unit’s efforts to prosecute Australian residents and citizens believed to have participated in horrific war crimes.
The SIU left an important legacy. As well as pursuing justice for victims of the Holocaust, it demonstrated that historical investigation of war crimes was possible, even decades later. Australia should be proud that, for a brief period in our legal history, we stood up and did the right thing. There was a time when Nazi collaborators living in Australia were wondering when the SIU knock on the door would come.
Justice And War Crimes
My book, Justice and War Crimes (with a Foreword by Geoffrey Robertson KC), traces the history of ICTY’s Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) from its creation in early 1994, prior to the arrival of the first Prosecutor, Richard Goldstone, until I left ten years later in 2004.
There was a period when the ICTY faced the prospects of complete failure. The book highlights several turning points which, in my view, turned this around and contributed to the Tribunal’s ultimate success. The OTP achieved the apprehension of every living person indicted by the Tribunal.
Much of this story has never been told before. It is a personal and unique look at the inner workings of the ICTY’s OTP, the first international criminal court since the Nuremburg war crimes tribunal established at the end of the Second World War.
The book pulls no punches in its criticisms of NATO for its lack of enthusiasm in apprehending indicted war criminals, in situations where it had the ability and mandate to do so. It follows the murky path created by those who initially did not want to see NATO involved in the apprehension of ICTY fugitives.
‘Justice and War Crimes’ singles out Croatia and makes well deserved criticism for its lack of cooperation with the Tribunal when it came to investigations involving Croatian perpetrators.
Perhaps controversially, the book critically reveals some unprofessional aspects of the performance of the Tribunal’s third Prosecutor, Carla Del Ponte.
On a positive note the book outlines how the Kosovo conflict brought about the indictment and prosecution of President Slobodan Milosevic, the first political leader of any country to be indicted for genocide.
It also describes one of the ICTY’s more obscure achievements namely deterring the outbreak of war in North Macedonia thereby preventing the commission of further war crimes by the potential warring parties.
At a time when Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine has again brought the prosecution of modern war crimes to the fore, ‘Justice and War Crimes’ is a timely reminder of the difficulties and complexities involved in the process of bringing political leaders to justice for their crimes while at the same time demonstrating that it is not an impossible task.
For a personally signed copy of ‘Justice and War Crimes’, please CONTACT Graham. The cost will be A$20.00 per copy plus postage $10 (Australia only. For international postage please ask). Please add your name to the contact form as well as your address and any special inscription you would like Graham to include when he signs your copy. On receipt of your Contact form Graham will provide you with his bank account details and will post the book to you.