Demjanjuk taken to federal officials by ambulance

[David]

AP


CLEVELAND, Ohio – Suspected Nazi death camp guard John Demjanjuk was taken from his home by ambulance Monday and driven to a U.S. immigration office as agents prepared to deport him to Germany.

Flanked by a motorcade of several unmarked vehicles, the ambulance was waved down a ramp that leads to the basement of Cleveland's downtown federal building. Security guards swung the gate closed at the bottom of the ramp as soon as the motorcade entered.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesman Khaalid Walls said he did not immediately have information on whether Demjanjuk was surrendering.

The 89-year-old Demjanjuk is wanted on a Munich arrest warrant that accuses him of 29,000 counts of accessory to murder as a guard at the Sobibor death camp in Nazi-occupied Poland.

Demjanjuk's son and an attorney who represents Demjanjuk in the U.S. didn't immediately return messages left by The Associated Press after the ambulance arrived at Demjanjuk's home.

Demjanjuk (pronounced dem-YAHN'-yuk) denies Germany's accusations. He says he was held by the Germans as a Soviet prisoner of war and was never a camp guard. Demjanjuk's family also says he shouldn't be deported, because he is in poor health and might not survive the trans-Atlantic journey.

A German Justice Ministry spokesman, Ulrich Staudigl, said the retired autoworker was expected to be in Germany by Tuesday.

Earlier Monday, his son, John Demjanjuk Jr., said an appeal in a U.S. court would go ahead even if his father isn't in the country.

"Given the history of this case and not a shred of evidence that he ever hurt one person let alone murdered anyone anywhere, this is inhuman even if the courts have said it is lawful," Demjanjuk Jr. said.

Demjanjuk was visited Monday morning by a daughter and two priests at his home in Seven Hills, a Cleveland suburb.

After the ambulance arrived and pulled into the driveway, family members stood at the edge of the garage and held up a bedsheet to block the view of reporters and photographers across the street.

U.S. immigration officials went to Demjanjuk's home Friday to serve a government notice asking that he surrender. The move came one day after the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Demjanjuk's appeal to stop his deportation.

On Monday, a Berlin court rejected an appeal aimed at preventing deportation.

Once in Germany, Demjanjuk will be brought before a judge and formally charged. He will also be given the opportunity to make a statement to the court, in keeping with normal justice procedure, Staudigl said.

Demjanjuk is expected to be held in the medical unit of a Munich prison. The government has said preparations have been made at the facility to ensure he will receive appropriate care.