AJC Applauds German Conviction of John Demjanjuk for Holocaust Crimes

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May 12, 2011, 01:59 ET

BERLIN, May 12, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- AJC applauds the German court conviction of John Demjanjuk for his role as an accessory to the murder of tens of thousands of people at the Sobibor death camp in Nazi-occupied Poland. Demjanjuk was sentenced today to a five-year prison term, though the court let him go free in Germany so he can file an appeal within six months.

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"The Munich State Court's clear message to the world is no matter how long it takes, mass murderers are accountable to justice," said Deidre Berger, Director of AJC Berlin. "Today's verdict is one of the most important legal precedents in decades for the prosecution and conviction of Nazi-era war criminals, and should encourage the pursuit of others who participated in executing the Holocaust."

Over the decades, there have been relatively few trials in Germany of suspected Holocaust mass murderers. Berger expressed hope that following the Demjanjuk case, "German justice authorities will now determine whether there are other perpetrators who can still be brought to justice."

The Munich State Court established in the Demjanjuk verdict the principle that individuals who were part of the Nazi camp apparatus are accessories to murder regardless of their level of command.

Demjanjuk arrived in Germany two years ago today, after the U.S. government denaturalized and deported him. He had lied about his war-time activities when he came to the U.S. in 1952, and lived in Cleveland until being compelled to leave.

SOURCE American Jewish Committee