Haralds Puntulis
Haralds Puntulis | |
|---|---|
| Born | Haralds Petrovich Puntulis or Horald Petrovich Puntulis 14 May 1909 |
| Died | 4 July 1982 (aged 73) |
| Other names | Harry Puntulis |
| Known for | Nazi collaborator; leading a firing squad that carried out mass murders in Maltā and the Audrini massacre, during World War II |
| Spouse | Anna Puntulis |
| Police career | |
| Country | Latvia |
| Allegiance | Nazi Germany |
| Department | District of Rezekne |
| Branch | Militia police |
| Rank |
|
| Awards | Iron Cross (2nd class) |
| Other work | Building contractor (Canada) |
| Criminal information | |
| Motive | |
| Conviction | Murder (in absentia) |
| Criminal penalty | Death |
| Accomplices | |
| Escaped | To Canada in 1948 |
| Comments | Tried in absentia by the Latvian Soviet Socialist Republic (1965) |
| Details | |
Span of crimes | August 1941 – January 4, 1942 |
| Country | Latvia |
| Locations | Maltā and Audrini, Rēzekne |
| Targets | Latvian Jews, gypsies, and communists |
| Killed | 750 people |
Haralds Puntulis (14 May 1909 – 4 July 1982), known locally in Canada as Harry Puntulis, was a Latvian police officer and Nazi collaborator.
In World War II Puntulis served as the chief of the 4th Maltā police precinct during the German occupation of Latvia. Puntulis directed the execution of Latvian Jews, gypsies, and communists, and was awarded the Iron Cross for service to the Reichskommissariat Ostland. After the war, Puntulis escaped to Canada and requests to extradite him to Latvia to face criminal charges were refused by the Canadian government. He was tried in absentia, was convicted of murder, and sentenced to death.
A retired building contractor, Puntulis died of natural causes in Toronto, aged 73 years, 17 years after being sentenced to death.