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Comments:  49
U.S. slams court decision to halt Demjanjuk's deportation
By Natasha Mozgovaya, Haaretz Correspondent, and News Agencies
Tags: John Demjanjuk, Israel News 

The U.S. Department of Justice criticized a court decision to halt the deportation of suspected Nazi death camp guard John Demjanjuk to Germany for possible trial.

Demjanjuk's extradition was requested so that he could face charges he helped murder at least 29,000 Jews as a Nazi death camp guard, his son said Friday.

The retired autoworker, who lives in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, argued that given his frail health, the deportation would have amounted to torture.
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"All of Demjanjuk's submissions should be denied, as they are based on speculation, erroneous assumptions, and frivolous claims that legitimate German legal proceedings against him are designed to cause him suffering and would subject him to torture," the Office of Special Investigations said in a statement on Friday. "He cannot meet his burden of proving that it is more likely than not that he would face torture if removed to Germany and his motions and application therefore must fail.‬"

A German justice official also denied on Saturday that the Demjanjuk's deportation would amount to torture.

"That is cynical and absolutely intolerable," Bavarian Secretary of Justice Beate Merk said.

Merk said she now does not know how the case will proceed.

"For now, this is a matter for the Americans," she said.

Despite the ruling, after many fits and starts, it appears the saga of Demjanjuk's stay in the United States is coming to its end. After extraditing him to Israel in 1986 and then being compelled to reabsorb him in 1993, the U.S. seems eager to rid itself of the man believed to be "Ivan the Terrible."

Demjanjuk immigrated to the U.S. in 1952 and became a naturalized citizen in 1958. The authorities' efforts to strip him of citizenship were nightmarish. He was originally stripped of citizenship in 1981, and his claim that he was a mere farmer from Poland did not aid his argument.

Yet, after his acquittal in an Israeli court and his subsequent return to the U.S., a Federal Court restored his citizenship. One year later, the Justice Department sought once again to deny him citizenship.

The U.S. would like to expel him to Germany, Poland, or Ukraine, yet Demjanjuk has kept filing appeals, thus delaying the process. In 2008, the Supreme Court turned down his last appeal
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  1.   At least Germany doesn`t have the death penalty... 04:42  |  Dan 04/04/09
  2.   The war was over a long time ago. 04:48  |  American in NY 04/04/09
  3.   # 2 American in NY...... getting over it 05:43  |  allang 04/04/09
  4.   #2 I wonder if you would feel the same way if generations of your 05:48  |  glenna 04/04/09
  5.   ivan 05:49  |  joseph 04/04/09
  6.   If he`s guilty 08:05  |  johnjf 04/04/09
  7.   Leave him be 10:10  |  Yonah 04/04/09
  8.   Not sure if he will be found guilty 11:31  |  Danny 04/04/09
  9.   justice be done 16:30  |  ziggie 04/04/09
  10.   if he was quilty 17:32  |  john ross 04/04/09
  11.   FDR turned back Jewish Refugees in Boats & now this w/Obama! 17:56  |  michelle 04/04/09
  12.   #6 Johnjf; Why did they let Dmjaniuk go back 18:48  |  Israeli Observer 04/04/09
  13.   Justice #2 19:21  |  Steve 04/04/09
  14.   AMERICAN IN NEW YORK 19:31  |  Brant 04/04/09
  15.   johnjf , good point, indeed, Why did Israel let him go? 20:07  |  Akiva P 04/04/09
  16.   All those calling for justice 20:07  |  Chris Linthwaite 04/04/09
  17.   joseph 5 21:06  |  potobac 04/04/09
  18.   As a matter of fact Glenna, I do! 22:09  |  BBSNews 04/04/09
  19.   Justice 22:50  |  Peter Adenauer 04/04/09
  20.   #2 American (I doubt it) in NY 23:08  |  *BEN JABO 04/04/09
  21.   P.Adenauer: Who told about "Jewish Justice"? It is YOUR PERSONAL 23:23  |  Vittorio 04/04/09
  22.   bbs news 23:36  |  Connie 04/04/09
  23.   To Allang #3 `...getting over it.` 00:02  |  Colin Wright 05/04/09
  24.   To BBS News #10 `As a matter of fact, Glenna...` 00:07  |  Colin Wright 05/04/09
  25.   # 13 vittorio 00:07  |  Axel 05/04/09
  26.   Ivan? 00:23  |  geo 05/04/09
  27.   BBSNews, get over it already 02:19  |  Bruce 05/04/09
  28.   1 down, at least 28,999 to go 02:21  |  Jim 05/04/09
  29.   ben jabo 02:39  |  potobac 05/04/09
  30.   #5 joseph 02:42  |  Jim 05/04/09
  31.   The other war mongering terrorists... 04:51  |  Maureen Ann 05/04/09
  32.   American in NY. Maybe American, but no Patriot 05:08  |  Akiva P 05/04/09
  33.   ..."at least 29,000 Jews as a Nazi death camp guard" 05:22  |  Akiva P 05/04/09
  34.   Connie, save your silliness for someone less informed... 06:55  |  BBSNews 05/04/09
  35.   #2 American in NY ?? 07:17  |  *BEN JABO 05/04/09
  36.   #21 Potobac 07:33  |  *BEN JABO 05/04/09
  37.   Akiva P # 31 No loyalty to any foreign country 15:00  |  American in NY 05/04/09
  38.   Akiva P other thread 6th try 16:17  |  American in NY 05/04/09
  39.   Allang # 3 4th try 20:21  |  American in NY 05/04/09
  40.   Connie # 1 re: Ballistic and your hatred & spite 20:24  |  American in NY 05/04/09
  41.   Akiva P 6 th try 22:30  |  American in NY 05/04/09
  42.   BSnews - Stop the pretense of being a journalist 23:16  |  *BEN JABO 05/04/09
  43.   #36 American NUTJOB in NY 23:56  |  *BEN JABO 05/04/09
  44.   29000 killed? 00:37  |  blackminorca 06/04/09
  45.   #36 American (??) in NY One Trick Pony 01:09  |  * BEN JABO 06/04/09
  46.   American in NY - Still pretending he`s a Patriot 03:10  |  *BEN JABO 06/04/09
  47.   BEN JABO 43 01:12  |  potobac 07/04/09
  48.   send him back.. no deadline on henious murder 04:27  |  Julie Stoneham 07/04/09
  49.   #47 Potobac - You`re just guessing 01:29  |  *BEN JABO 09/04/09
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