The headlines screamed, "Is this the face of a murderer? on the front cover of 'The Age's - Good Weekend' magazine. (June 14, 2008). It went on to say that 'Jane Cadzow takes tea with Perth grandfather and accused Holocaust killer Charles Zentai.'

'Accused Holocaust killer?' I thought, good grief - a mass murderer in our midst. However on reading the magazine article it seems that the eighty-six-year old Zentai is accused of the murder in 1944 of a young Jewish man in Budapest.

According to 'Good Weekend' magazine, 'The way is now clear for a West Australian magistrate to decide at a hearing in August whether
Zentai is eligible to be surrendered to a military tribunal in Budapest. Zentai's friends and family are outraged by the allegations against him and appalled that he might be sent to Hungary to be tried.'

Am I the only one who sees something wrong with this very case ?
The evidence that is being presented comes from the then existing Soviet system. There are many questions here - including, what constitutes 'war crimes?'

Should all war criminals be prosecuted or only some? Are some war criminals not acceptable, while others are to be prosecuted at any cost and by any means?

Any thoughts?

I had the same thought, Foxy. Even assuming he is guilty, which as you point out may be difficult to prove, if the bloke had been involved in the killing of a gypsy, homosexual, mentally-retarded or other category of holocaust victim would he now be receiving the publicity? I suspect it is solely because the victim was Jewish that he is being pursued rather than any other special aspect of the case. I'm not suggesting for a second that the religion of the victim excuses his crime, although no doubt the usual accusations will be made by the usual dimwits. My concern is that the events and most of those involved in them, as well as the circumstances which lead to them have all been and gone. I can't help feeling that Zentai is being used as another in a long line of "trophy persecutors" trotted out to remind us all of how badly-done-by the Jews were during the War and by extension, justify whatever misbehaviour is perpetrated by Israel in the future. Why not, that strategy has worked well for over 60 years so far?

When we start seeing prosecutions for the war crime of murder of gays and petty thieves during WW2, I may modify my views.

You are both right.

It would be very hard to prove the crimes against Charles Zentai and I would also be worried he wont get a fair trial.

Besides as antiseptic said the Jews are a bunch of whingers who wont let the holocaust become part of history because they have a chip on their shoulder the size of a synagogue.

They are also total hypocrites when it comes to punishing war criminals.

We all know the story of the wanted Jewish war criminal Solomon Morel who was wanted for the murders of 1500 German women and children after the finish of the Second World War. The man fled to Israel where the Israel’s refused to extradite him even though there was a plethora of evidence against him.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4659985.stm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solomon_Morel

Although I think all criminals should be punished it was a long time ago, hard to prove and is merely a witch up by a group of people who have no credibility.

May all 55 million people who died during WW2 rest in peace.

"Should all war criminals be prosecuted or only some? Are some war criminals not acceptable, while others are to be prosecuted at any cost and by any means?"

should there be a statute of limitations on murder and if so, how long?

Antiseptic "I suspect it is solely because the victim was Jewish that he is being pursued rather than any other special aspect of the case."

and

EasyTimes "Jews are a bunch of whingers who wont let the holocaust become part of history"

I guess if you two lived in Mississippi you would spend saturdays nights with white hoods and go around looking for some unlucky n-i-g-g-e-r to vent your bile on and possibly string up to a tree for looking at you the wrong way, before going off and burning a church or synagogue or something.

Bigotry comes in many forms and your anti-semite bigotry is no exception.

Please keep posting, bigots make the best targets for public ridicule, they have no justification to defend themselves with.

Dear Col Rouge,

The memories of those who perished at the hands of Hitler and Stalin during World War II are not revered by mock justice. It does not honor those who suffered and died that we now attempt to punish some alleged war criminals by relying on evidence produced by other perpetrators of the same crimes against humanity.

Hungary was under the Soviet Regime in 1948 - and this is where the evidence comes from that accuses the Perth resident.

The acceptance of alleged evidence selected and orchestrated exclusively by Hitler's partners and the punishment of targeted individuals who are not allowed to present a proper defense, is not only contrary to the most fundamental Western principles of justice, but compounds the tragedy of World War II.

Why is Hungary pursuing an Australian citizen 64 years after the alleged crime was committed, who allegedly killed one
person - when they have never brought to trial one single Soviet war criminal? The Soviets killed thousands of Hungarians. Why discriminate? Does Hungary (or Moscow) have a vested interest in discrediting refugees who were forced to flee Eastern Europe?

Are not all war crimes - equally horrible?

Even if it were possible to conduct a fair hearing so many generations after the alleged war crimes were committed, when most of the eyewitnesses have died and the surviving witnesses' memories are frail, can justice be achieved through a selective process which violates the most fundamental due process rights of the accused?

It seems to me that this is not justice.

You would hope anyone who murders wouldn't be free from judgement no matter how long ago it was. Fairly hard case to prove you'd think. But hopefully someone who is guilty and proven to be so would pay for that crime. I'd be keen on that if it was my family.

What's more the shame are the bigots that rise from the stinky festering swamp of agenda driven driatribe when an issue involving the holocaust and Jews comes up.