Post by Bozur on Aug 8, 2014 23:57:00 GMT -5
Serbia to Mull Rehabilitation of Nazi-Backed WWII Leader
Serbia’s high court was ordered to reconsider its decision to reject the rehabilitation of Milan Nedic, the controversial leader of a Nazi-backed puppet government during World War II.
Milan Nedic, Serbia's WWII prime minister.
Gordana Andric BIRN Belgrade
The appeals court in Belgrade ruled on Thursday that the Serbian high court was wrong to throw out a request to clear the name of WWII-era Prime Minister Milan Nedic, and ordered it to reconsider the decision.
The request had been submitted by his great-grandson, Aleksandar Nedic, along with the Serbian Liberal Party and the Association of Political Prisoners and Victims of the Communist Regime.
They claimed that Nedic was not a traitor who was guilty of causing suffering during the Nazi occupation of the country, as the Yugoslav Communist authorities insisted when they prosecuted him after WWII.
Nedic’s great-grandson and his allies also argued that the Nazi-backed premier gave refuge to 600,000 Serbs from across the Balkan region who fled to Serbian territory during WWII, thus ensuring their safety.
They claimed that Nedic was actually a victim of persecution that his suicide in 1946 was actually murder. The Communist authorities said that he died after throwing himself out of a window.
The high court rejected the rehabilitation plea in February this year on a technicality, saying that the plaintiffs failed to submit documents proving they are legally registered organisations that are allowed to submit such a request.
The court argued that the Serbian Liberal Party had been removed from the official register of political organisations, and the lawyer for the Association of Political Prisoners and Victims of the Communist Regime had failed to attend the hearing, although it failed to register that he did not turn up because he had died.
Historians and the Serbian public remain divided over Nedic’s role during the Nazi occupation of the country.
Some believe that he took the role of prime minister in a bid to ensure that he was is in position to help people and prevent German reprisals in retaliation for an uprising in Serbia.
Others believe however that there is no excuse for a man who collaborated with the Nazi occupation forces in any way and presided over a regime that helped impose repressive rule over the country.
Serbia’s high court was ordered to reconsider its decision to reject the rehabilitation of Milan Nedic, the controversial leader of a Nazi-backed puppet government during World War II.
Milan Nedic, Serbia's WWII prime minister.
Gordana Andric BIRN Belgrade
The appeals court in Belgrade ruled on Thursday that the Serbian high court was wrong to throw out a request to clear the name of WWII-era Prime Minister Milan Nedic, and ordered it to reconsider the decision.
The request had been submitted by his great-grandson, Aleksandar Nedic, along with the Serbian Liberal Party and the Association of Political Prisoners and Victims of the Communist Regime.
They claimed that Nedic was not a traitor who was guilty of causing suffering during the Nazi occupation of the country, as the Yugoslav Communist authorities insisted when they prosecuted him after WWII.
Nedic’s great-grandson and his allies also argued that the Nazi-backed premier gave refuge to 600,000 Serbs from across the Balkan region who fled to Serbian territory during WWII, thus ensuring their safety.
Serbia's Controversial WWII Premier
Milan Nedic headed the so-called Government of National Salvation, a puppet government in Serbia during World War II that operated from August 1941 until October 1944.
Previously he had fought in the Balkan Wars and then in WWI, when he became the youngest colonel on the Serbian General Staff. He was appointed ordinance officer to King Peter in 1916.
After Germany took over, Nedic was appointed as the leader of the country. He made a speech on the radio claiming that he wants to save Serbians’ lives by accepting occupation and called on people not to resist, as the Nazis would kill 100 Serbs for each German soldier's death.
During his rule, Belgrade was the first city in Europe to be declared 'Judenfrei' - free of Jews. By the end of the war, about 90 per cent of the Jewish population in Serbia had been murdered.
In addition, about 80,000 Serbs were killed in concentration camps. About 300,000 people were killed in the country in all.
However, Nedic’s government accepted many refugees from the Balkan region, mostly of Serbian descent.
At the end of the war, he fled to Austria. The Yugoslav Communist authorities who took over after WWII charged him with collaborating with the Germans and with committing treachery, but the case was cut short when he committed suicide in a prison cell in February 1946.
Milan Nedic headed the so-called Government of National Salvation, a puppet government in Serbia during World War II that operated from August 1941 until October 1944.
Previously he had fought in the Balkan Wars and then in WWI, when he became the youngest colonel on the Serbian General Staff. He was appointed ordinance officer to King Peter in 1916.
After Germany took over, Nedic was appointed as the leader of the country. He made a speech on the radio claiming that he wants to save Serbians’ lives by accepting occupation and called on people not to resist, as the Nazis would kill 100 Serbs for each German soldier's death.
During his rule, Belgrade was the first city in Europe to be declared 'Judenfrei' - free of Jews. By the end of the war, about 90 per cent of the Jewish population in Serbia had been murdered.
In addition, about 80,000 Serbs were killed in concentration camps. About 300,000 people were killed in the country in all.
However, Nedic’s government accepted many refugees from the Balkan region, mostly of Serbian descent.
At the end of the war, he fled to Austria. The Yugoslav Communist authorities who took over after WWII charged him with collaborating with the Germans and with committing treachery, but the case was cut short when he committed suicide in a prison cell in February 1946.
They claimed that Nedic was actually a victim of persecution that his suicide in 1946 was actually murder. The Communist authorities said that he died after throwing himself out of a window.
The high court rejected the rehabilitation plea in February this year on a technicality, saying that the plaintiffs failed to submit documents proving they are legally registered organisations that are allowed to submit such a request.
The court argued that the Serbian Liberal Party had been removed from the official register of political organisations, and the lawyer for the Association of Political Prisoners and Victims of the Communist Regime had failed to attend the hearing, although it failed to register that he did not turn up because he had died.
Historians and the Serbian public remain divided over Nedic’s role during the Nazi occupation of the country.
Some believe that he took the role of prime minister in a bid to ensure that he was is in position to help people and prevent German reprisals in retaliation for an uprising in Serbia.
Others believe however that there is no excuse for a man who collaborated with the Nazi occupation forces in any way and presided over a regime that helped impose repressive rule over the country.
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