September 20, 2005
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Paul Martin today made the following statement on the death of Simon Wiesenthal:

“On behalf of all Canadians, I wish to extend my condolences to the family and friends of Simon Wiesenthal on his passing. That his death coincides with the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, and the 60th anniversary of the United Nations Charter, whose organizing principle and purpose is “to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war,” makes it all the more moving.

Mr. Wiesenthal said of his own work that the most important thing that he has done is to fight against forgetting, and to keep the remembrance of the events of the Holocaust alive.
Personal modesty aside, Simon Wiesenthal was himself a survivor who endured unthinkable horrors and took it upon himself to be the voice of Holocaust victims. He demonstrated extraordinary perseverance in helping bring to trial more than 1,100 of the Holocaust’s perpetrators.

The work of Mr. Wiesenthal and the organization that bears his name has had a significant influence on Canada and has contributed to the creation of our own War Crimes Program, designed to examine all allegations concerning the presence in Canada of suspected war criminals from either the World War II era or more recent conflicts.

Canada stands with others to acknowledge the immeasurable contribution this man has made to the fight against impunity and for accountability for the most serious crimes. The Simon Wiesenthal Center, including its Toronto office, the Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Center for Holocaust Studies, will ensure that his voice continues to be heard.”