Simon Wiesenthal Center
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Wiesenthal Center Calls Upon Hungarian Authorities to Investigate War-Time Activities of Key Arrow Cross Operative Now Living in Australia

The Simon Wiesenthal Center announced today that it has asked the Hungarian government to launch a comprehensive investigation into the World War II activities of Lajos Polgar, a Hungarian currently residing in Melbourne, Australia, who occupied an important position in the fascist Arrow Cross movement whose members actively participated in the persecution and murder of Jews in Hungary during the years 1944-1945.

The request by the Center was submitted by its chief Nazi-hunter, Israel director Dr. Efraim Zuroff, to Hungarian ambassador to Israel Andras Gyenge and was accompanied by the pertinent documentation regarding Polgar’s position and responsibilities in the Arrow Cross movement. (Polgar’s superior Josef Gera was hung in Budapest in 1946 for war crimes.)

According to Zuroff:

"The documents we submitted to the Hungarian authorities clearly show that Polgar occupied a position of authority in relation to Jews being persecuted by the Arrow Cross movement. At a minimum, this evidence should be sufficient for the launching of a comprehensive investigation into his wartime activities, with a view to possible prosecution."

For more information call 00-972-50-7214156