An appeal by Nazi war criminal Andrija Artukovic against an extradition order has been denied by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Manuel Real. The ruling could allow for Artukovic’s rapid extradition from the U.S. to Yugoslavia.
Artukovic, the former minister for the Nazi puppet state of Croatia in Yugoslavia, is responsible for the murder of more than 700,000 Serbians, 40,000 Gypsies, and 28,000 Jews during World War II. The Nazi war criminal has been fighting extradition to Yugoslavia where he would stand trial, and last Friday lost his first appeal to the District Court.
Rabbi Marvin Hier, dean of the Simon Wiesenthal Center, said, “this is a great victory. We hope this ruling will provide for Artukovic’s immediate return to the country where he committed those atrocious crimes against innocent people.” Artukovic has 10 days in which to file an appeal on Judge Real’s ruling. Real, at the same time, has the authority to lift the stay which was imposed last June.
In addition, Magistrate Volney Brown, Jr., the initial magistrate in the case, has rejected Artukovic’s attempt to reopen the original extradition proceedings.
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