Members of opposition parties today criticized the Government for failing to act decisively enough to have Ludwig Zind, former German school teacher convicted of anti-Semitism, extradited from Italy.
Zind, found guilty in West Germany two years ago, disappeared before sentence was passed. Last week, four Israeli sailors on shore leave at Naples spotted him as he was about to board a ship for Libya, where he had obtained a job as a professor of geology. Since then, it has been discovered that, after his disappearance, he visited West Germany twice, traveling on a “stateless person” passport bearing his own name.
“The world is beginning to believe that we are not really interested in bringing Zind to justice,” declared today’s Social Democratic News Service. While Parliament is adjourned for its summer recess. Socialist and other deputies here today openly stated they are considering the initiation of a parliamentary debate on the Zind issue, to be held when Parliament has reconvened.
Ministry of Justice officials here said there “is a slight hope” that Italian authorities may agree to extradite Zind. Meanwhile, they declared, they have asked Italian police to keep Zind jailed until a decision is reached on his extradition.
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