Argentina and war criminals

Very intereseting post. Very good questions!!! I don't know the answer (of course) but I found the following article published by the Simon Eiesenthal Center:

http://www.wiesenthal.com/site/apps/s/content.asp?c=fwLYKnN8 LzH&b=253162&ct=286022

July 28, 2003

WIESENTHAL CENTER URGES ARGENTINA AND ITALY RESPECTIVELY TO DETAIN AND EXTRADITE FASCIST PERPETRATOR OF "PEDESCALA" WAR CRIME

Paris
Identified by Italian witnesses as responsible for the April 1945 murder in Vicenza of 82 members of the Italian anti-Fascist resistance - an atrocity known as the "Pedescala Massacre" - Bruno Caneva had fled to Argentina in 1947, when sentenced to death for the murder of Rodino Fontan, an Italian partisan.

Since arriving in Argentina, he resides, until today, in the border-town of Mendoza.

Mandated by the "Comitato Permanente Vittime Civili 30 Aprile '45" (30 April 1945 Committee of Victims' Families) to assist in their quest for justice and closure, the Simon Wiesenthal Center is concerned that Caneva may escape justice and has requested his immediate detention by Argentina and his extradition for trial by Italy.

In a letter to Argentine Justice and Security Minister Gustavo Beliz, the Centers Director for International Liaison, Dr. Shimon Samuels, stated that: "The extradition of Joseph Schwammberger, Erich Priebke and Dinko Sakic, respectively, to Germany, Italy and Croatia, have set important milestones in Argentina's confrontation with its own history of providing refuge to war criminals. These steps have also induced the countries of repatriation to begin exorcising the demons of their past."

The letter continued: "In view of President Kirchner's commitment to 'end the culture of impunity that has prevailed over justice and memory,' Caneva must no longer abuse Argentine hospitality, after 56 years of contempt for his victims."

In a parallel letter, Samuels reminded Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi of his 1994 meeting with the Center that launched extradition proceedings for Nazi war criminal, Erich Priebke.

Samuels noted that, "while the Priebke trial exposed the criminality of the German Occupation, an indictment of Caneva on Italian soil, for the murder of Italian citizens, would draw out the lessons of collaboration for future generations. Mr. Prime Minister, this would hold great significance under your Presidency of the European Union, as Italy takes over the Chair of the 'International Task Force for Holocaust Education and Commemoration'."

In addition to extradition proceedings, the Center urged Italy to immediately terminate payments of a state war pension, made to Caneva each month in Mendoza.

To this end, the Wiesenthal Center has placed the facilities of its European and Latin American offices at the disposal of both countries.