Supreme Court denies former Nazi’s appeal

TORONTO – The Supreme Court of Canada has denied a former Nazi’s request to appeal the revocation of his citizenship.

Helmut Oberlander was a member of a gruesome Nazi death squad unit that murdered more than 90,000 Jewish men, women and children during the Second World War. Efforts have been under way for more than two decades to strip him of his Canadian citizenship because he lied about his past and gained entry to Canada illegally.

Since before the first court decision in 2001, B’nai Brith Canada’s League for Human Rights has been heavily involved in this case. As recently as 2018, B’nai Brith was the sole group granted intervener status to speak on behalf of the Jewish community and the victims of the Holocaust before the court.

“Oberlander has been given opportunity after opportunity to present his case, but it has finally come to an end,” said Ran Ukashi, National Director of B’nai Brith Canada’s League for Human Rights. “Now that Oberlander’s leave has been denied, albeit after much delay, it is imperative that he be deported from Canada immediately so that all Canadians – but especially the victims and their descendants of the mobile death squad Oberlander served in – can have their justice.

“There are no more excuses for having him remain in Canada. Oberlander must go immediately.”

“This is a critical moment in the case of Oberlander because the Canadian government is now one step closer to being able to deport an individual who not only lied about his wartime activities to enter Canada but was also a member of a Nazi death squad responsible for the deaths of innocent men, women and children in Eastern Europe,” said FSWC president and CEO Avi Benlolo. “Far too many Nazis have managed to get away with murder, live relatively normal lives and enjoy the freedom their victims were robbed of during the Holocaust. While justice in this case is long overdue, it is not too late for justice to be served.”

“We commend the Supreme Court of Canada for today’s decision and call on the Federal Government to delay no further in finally deporting this man from our country, as the law demands,” said Michael Mostyn, Chief Executive Officer of B’nai Brith Canada. “There is now no excuse whatsoever for Mr. Oberlander to remain in Canada, and B’nai Brith will be loudly and consistently demanding his removal until justice is served.

“No matter how many years have passed since the Holocaust, what happened to the victims can never be forgotten or let go. As a beacon of human rights and morality in the world, Canada must demonstrate in no uncertain terms that Nazis are still not welcome here.”

B’nai Brith recently sent a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau outlining several priorities for the new session of Parliament, including the immediate deportation of Oberlander.