The Belgian Parliament was told today that the delay in the extradition from Austria to Belgium of Robert Jan Verbelen, former SS general, had been caused by Verbelen’s fight to retain his recently acquired Austrian citizenship. Verbelen, a one-time deputy to Belgian fascist Leon Degrelle, is wanted in Belgium on Nazi war crimes charges.
Paul Henri-Spaak, Belgian Premier and Foreign Minister, disclosed the delay in reply to a question. He said that Verbelen had been deprived of the Austrian nationality he acquired under false pretenses a few years ago, but that the Nazi had appealed the action and his extradition had been postponed pending a final decision on his citizenship.
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