Supreme Court denies Demjanjuk's deportation plea

[David]

AP


CLEVELAND – Alleged Nazi death camp guard John Demjanjuk lost his bid Thursday to get the U.S. Supreme Court to stop his deportation to Germany, where an arrest warrant accuses him of 29,000 counts of accessory to murder during World War II.

Justice John Paul Stevens denied, without comment, Demjanjuk's plea to step into his case. The 89-year-old retired autoworker lives in suburban Cleveland, and he, his family and his lawyers have said he's in poor health and too frail to be sent overseas.

With his U.S. options dwindling, Demjanjuk's attorney in Germany made a separate appeal Thursday to a German court to block the deportation.

There was no immediate indication from Immigration and Customs Enforcement whether the agency would move promptly to deport Demjanjuk.

Messages seeking comment were left with an agency spokesman.