Harry Männil

Harry Männil (born 17 May 1920) is an Estonian businessman and a suspected Nazi war criminal. He is known as an art collector and known cultural benefactor in several countries, including Venezuela where he has been residing for the past 60 years. Mannil has been a prominent entrepreneur in the automotive industry in the U.S.A and Venezuela. He has been awarded several condecorations and recognitions by Estonia, Venezuela and other countries for his endeavors in the cultural sector. He is currently barred from entering the USA due to his wartime activities.

Männil is among "Top 10" on the list of most wanted Nazi war criminals published by Simon Wiesenthal Center.

Biopraphy

Männil has been accused of committing war crimes against Jews during the Second World War, when he was working during a period of three months in the Estonian political police in Tallinn in 1941, during which time he, according to Simon Wiesenthal Center, participated in the persecution and murder of civilians. He is wanted for personally murdering 100 Jews and rounding up thousands of others. Before the Soviet occupation of Estonia at the end of WWII, while he was being investigated by the Gestapo allegedly for anti Nazi activities, Mannil escaped to Finland and finally went to Venezuela.

Estonian authorities have cleared Männil of any wrongdoing and have closed his file. The investigations have been described by head of Simon Wiesenthal Center Efraim Zuroff as "a pathetic whitewash for political reasons of an active Nazi collaborator." Zuroff also noted that the prosecutor's totally baseless accusation that Mannil was purposely targeted by the Wiesenthal Center is the best proof that Estonia lacked the political will to prosecute a prominent Estonian. "Mannil is currently barred from entering the United States due to his wartime activities. It is obvious that Estonia, which has hereto failed to convict a single local Nazi war criminal since it regained its independence, still lacks the political courage to face the practical implications of the active complicity of its nationals in Holocaust crimes," said Zuroff."

According to Zuroff Estonia has consequently failed to prosecute a single local nazi war criminal.

External links

• Nazi atrocities accused Venezuelan businessman (85) cleared of WW2 charges
• Venezuela Shocked by Nazi Accusation
• Wiesenthal.com
• Wiesenthal.com
• Wiesenthal Center accuses Estonian
• Businessman barred from country for Nazi ties
• Estland stellt NS-Kriegsverbrecher-Verfahren ein
• Independent