Federal Court orders release of some secret material in Nazi war crimes study

Court orders release of Nazi war crimes material
Court orders release of Nazi war crimes material
The Peace Tower is seen on Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Saturday, Aug. 22, 2026.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Patrick Doyle
Writer

The Federal Court has ordered the release of some long-concealed passages of a September 1986 study prepared for a landmark federal commission of inquiry on war crimes.

In a ruling made public today, Federal Court Justice Simon Fothergill ordered the government to disclose previously redacted portions of the study on the resettlement of alleged Nazi war criminals in Canada after the Second World War.

B'nai Brith Canada has fought for years to see more of the report by researcher Alti Rodal.

In February 2024, Library and Archives Canada released some additional portions of the report in response to an Access to Information request from B'nai Brith.

Library and Archives continued to withhold other elements, including passages that discuss the role of American intelligence agencies in facilitating the settlement of Nazi collaborators in Canada.

In his ruling, Fothergill rejected the federal argument that the release of certain additional information would harm Canada's international relations.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 3, 2026.

By Jim Bronskill | Copyright 2026, The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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