Justice Minister Moshe Nissim said Monday that Israel would seek the extradition of more Nazi war criminals living abroad but only if there is sufficient evidence to place them on trial. The first accused war criminal ever extradited to Israel, Ukrainian-born John Demjanjuk, a retired auto worker from Cleveland, Ohio, was brought to Israel by U.S. marshals last Friday and was remanded in custody Sunday by a Jerusalem court.
Nissim said his Ministry is engaged in a concerted effort to gather all available information on other alleged war criminals residing in the U.S. But Israel has not asked for their extradition because there is presently not enough evidence to convict them, Nissim said.
Demjanjuk, 65, has been confined to an isolation cell at the Ayalon prison in Ramla, southeast of Tel Aviv. He was interrogated for four hours Monday but no details were made available to the media.
The authorities have taken pains to prevent leaks to the press to ensure a fair trial. Haaretz reported Tuesday that Demjanjuk continued to insist on his innocence under interrogation as he did at his court appearance Sunday.
He is accused of having been a guard at the Treblinka death camp in Poland and to actually have operated the gas chambers where hundreds of thousands of Jews were killed during World War II. He has been identified by survivors as the guard known as “Ivan the Terrible” because of his brutal treatment of camp inmates.
INTERROGATION TO TAKE TWO MONTHS
The interrogation process is expected to take two months, after which a charge sheet will be prepared. His trial will be held in a special hall at the Binyanei Haooma Convention Center in Jerusalem.
According to reports from the prison, Demjanjuk sleeps a lot and talks to his guards when he is not being interrogated. He will undergo a comprehensive medical examination in the next few days. He wrote his first letter to his family on Sunday. So far he has not asked for books or newspapers.
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