Vladimir Katriuk, alleged Nazi war criminal, dies in Quebec

A Quebec man who was suspected of being a Nazi warcriminal and involvementin a massacre in 1943 has died, hislawyer said Thursday.

Vladimir Katriuk had been ill for a long time, Orest Rudzik saidin an interview.

"He passed away, I think it was last Friday," Rudzik said fromOakville, Ont. "It was a stroke or something do with a stroke."

Katriuk had been living in the Quebec town of Ormstown and hadbeen an avid beekeeper for years.

News of Katriuk's death emerged just several hours after theCentre for Israel and Jewish Affairs said Ottawa should take thenecessary steps to ensure that he be held accountable if he werefound guilty of war crimes committed in collaboration with theNazis.

The Russian Embassy in Ottawa called on the Harper government afew weeks ago to support a criminal case against Katriuk and saidthe Ukraine native was involved in a March 1943 massacre in Khatyn,Byelorussia, which is now Belarus.

Jewish human rights organizationB'nai Brith Canada issued a statement after hearing aboutKatriuk's death.

"Sadly,Katriuk's death in Canada points out the exact concern that we repeatedly raised, that justice delayed is justice denied," said David Matas, the group's senior legal counsel.

Katriuk, who moved to Canada in the 1950s and was said by Rudzikto be 93, previously denied any involvement in war crimes.

Rudzik said he was informed of the death by a relative ofKatriuk's and that he last spoke to his client a few months ago.