harald nugiseks, one of those honoured, was buried with full military honours in estonia when he died in 2014. in a 1993 interview, nugiseks said he volunteered for the waffen ss because he supported what nazi germany was doing in europe.
the name of estonian waffen ss veteran harald nugiseks had been engraved on the monument at the elora camp. harald nugiseks, one of those honoured, was buried with full military honours in estonia when he died in 2014. in a 1993 interview, nugiseks said he volunteered for the waffen ss because he supported what nazi germany was doing in europe.
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claims that estonians or the ss soldiers were involved in rounding up and executing jews is nonsense, he said in the interview published by a far-right website honouring the waffen ss. “what happened to most jews was brought on by their actions,” nugiseks said, adding that those who were killed were enemies of estonia.
the other estonian waffen ss veterans honoured by the monument were harald riipalu, paul maitla and alfons rebane.
rebane was also on the radar for canadian government officials, who noted his nazi past. “estonia has received significant international criticism for allowing ex-ss veterans to march in parades,” a canadian heritage official wrote in a 2021 email. “more recently, it was criticized for erecting a plaque that commemorates alfons rebane, an ss officer and nazi collaborator, who did, however, fight the soviets.”
the documents, obtained by the ottawa citizen using the access to information law, involved discussions over concerns that the names of nazi collaborators could be on the victims of communism memorial in ottawa.