History 06/03/20 public domainИван Demjanjuk: the fate of the cruel executioner of the concentration camp “Sobibor”
In several Nazi death camps was the supervisor distinguished even among his colleagues such monstrous cruelty that the prisoners nicknamed him Ivan the Terrible. The name of the Russian Tsar they chose for a reason. Monster really called Ivan.
a Dead man in a nursing home
In 2012, one of the Bavarian commune of bad Feilnbach, which is considered a resort town, in a nursing home died 91-year-old man. This is absolutely unremarkable fact, perhaps, and would remain so, if, according to one version, the deceased would not have been the Ivan the Terrible – a former camp warden, known for his incredible cruelty.
Since 1952, Ivan has lived and worked in the US, and later even became an American citizen. Of course, about his past, he did not apply. However, in the 1970’s, it is still calculated, and in 1986, deprived of citizenship of the United States, extradited to Israel. But solid evidence that he is the warden, an Israeli court found. So Ivan was allowed to return to the States.
However in the early 2000s over it initiated a new trial, now in America. The investigation revealed that Ivan really was the warden in the death camp “Majdanek” and “Sobibor”. The American authorities granted the defendant of Germany, which started its trial.
Ivan was found guilty, but released. But he appealed and went to wait for the end of term of its consideration in the above mentioned nursing home, where he died soon afterwards.
Who is John?
This man was none other than Ivan Demjanjuk, or John Demjanjuk (that was the name he got together with an American passport). Ivan was born in the Ukrainian village of dubovi Makharyntsi. He finished only elementary school and some timeI worked in his native village by tractor. A year before the war, Demjanjuk was drafted into the army. But in 1942 he found himself in enemy captivity.
the red Army are immediately sent to a prison camp located in the Polish city of Chelm. According to some, that’s where Demjanjuk became a volunteer assistant of the Wehrmacht (hiwi). Newly Jivi Germans hired to serve in the camp of Trawniki (Poland), where he had to guard the prisoners employed on agricultural operations.
According to the materials of the case, subsequently Demjanjuk as the guard had worked in the concentration camp “Majdanek” (Poland), “Sobibor” (Poland), “Flossenburg” (Germany).
Accusations
When Demjanjuk was exposed, the first trial was held in Israel. In 1988, he is guilty of crimes against humanity has been proved. Demjanjuk sentenced to death. At that time, was still alive some prisoners of the camps, in which former soldier of the red army had a chance to work as a warden. And 18 of them pointed to the defendant as on the order of Ivan the terrible who tortured prisoners. However, the Israeli Supreme court overturned the first instance decision for lack of evidence. Ivan Demjanjuk again went to America, where he has restored the former status of a citizen of the United States.
Perhaps Demjanjuk had hoped that him will leave alone now. But in the 2000s, the American government also took over the former warden. A few years later he was sent to Germany. As one of the main evidence the Prosecutor’s office of Munich showed the business card of the SS to the name Demjanjuk, which provided States. He was accused of more than 27 thousand murders. In addition, according to the Spanish side, the defendant was involved in the deaths of their fellow countrymen who lost their lives in the camp of “Flossenburg”.
the Overseer or is it a prisoner of war?
in Spite of everything, Ivan Demjanjuk guilty itself do not consider. He said that was almost as much a victim of the Nazis as ordinary prisoners of concentration camps. Demjanjuk claimed he was engaged in agricultural work. As for the identity of the SS, in his opinion, the document was an ordinary fake, and made in the Soviet Union.
Two years, while there was a trial, Demjanjuk spent behind bars. As a result, in 2011 a German court sentenced him to five years imprisonment. However, due to the advanced age of the convict was released. He appealed, but in March 2012 he died.
Yulia Popova
Source:
© Russian Seven
Featured articles Share: Comments Comments on the article “Ivan Demjanjuk: the fate of the cruel executioner of the concentration camp “Sobibor”” Please log in to leave a comment! br>
Share on Tumblr
