Russia invited to war crimes conference

Trial for genocide suspects still not in sight

RIGA - After several days of dragging its feet, Latvia invited Russia to join six other nations at next month's conference on war crimes suspects Konrads Kalejs and Karlis Ozols.

Kalejs, 86, and Ozols, 87, both ethnic Latvians and residents of Australia, were allegedly officers in the Arajs Kommando, a Nazi-sponsored death squad responsible for murdering some 30,000 Jews during the Nazi occupation of Latvia.

Evidence gathered in Russia and Great Britain will be discussed at the conference on September 14-15, said Dzintra Subrovska, press secretary at the state Prosecutor General's Office. The possibility of further foreign help will also be discussed.

"We have good cooperation with Russia," said Subrovska, despite the strained relations evident after Latvia's failure to invite Russia to the last Kalejs-Ozols conference in February.

But critics are frustrated at the slow rate of progress.

"I have no confidence whatsoever in Latvia's willingness to prosecute Kalejs and Ozols," said Efraim Zuroff, director of the Simon Wiesenthal Center in Jerusalem. "I have doubts whether extradition requests will ever be made, after years of trying to get them to do so."

No decision to prosecute has been made, Subrovska confirmed.

"We can't talk about a trial yet," she said. "We're working on the materials, translating and analyzing them and comparing them to our criminal code."

Including Russia in the process is essential, said Zuroff.

"Russia is one of the most important sources of material on their cases."

So far, according to the prosecutor's office, there is no evidence linking Ozols to crimes within Latvia. But on this point Zuroff is also critical.

Lack of such evidence is due to "neglect" on the part of the prosecutor's office, he said.

"Ozols was part of a Latvian unit based in Latvia. There is every likelihood he also committed crimes in Latvia," Zuroff said.

But some evidence may lead to a different conclusion.

"There is a possibility of criminal proceedings against Ozols for crimes outside Latvia," said Subrovska.

Latvia's failure to invite Belarus to the conference was also criticized by Zuroff.

"Belarus should be brought into the process," he said. "Ozols committed very serious crimes there. There may be material in Belarus."

Belarus is ready to contribute to the investigation of war crimes, said Alexander Tserkovsky, first secretary at the Belarusian Embassy in Latvia.

"If Latvia requests materials from our prosecutor's office they'll get a reply," he said. "I can't say how much material we have. Belarus supports the position of other countries regarding prosecution of those committing war crimes and crimes against humanity. These are the most serious crimes."

The other states invited to attend the conference are the United States, Canada, Britain, Germany, Israel and Australia.