U.S. asked to extradite ex-Nazi to Serbia

The World Jewish Congress (WJC) requested from the U.S. to extradite Peter Egner, suspected of serving in a WW2 Nazi unit in occupied Belgrade, to Serbia. Egner, 88, is an ethnic German born in Vojvodina, northern Serbia, now a naturalized American citizen. U.S. asked to extradite ex-Nazi to Serbia Serbia wants Egner's extradition so that he could face charges of participation in the murder of 17,000 civilians, mostly Jews and Roma, as well as political prisoners, in the period from 1941 to 1943, during the Nazi occupation of Serbia and then Yugoslavia. Serbia issued an international warrant for the arrest of Egner in April, and in November the country requested that the U.S. authorities should extradite him so that he could stand genocide trial. Egner emigrated to the U.S. in 1960, gaining American citizenship six years later. WJC President Ronald Lauder pointed out that the charges against Egner are “so horrendous that no further time must be wasted,” and that “justice done belatedly is still better than justice not done at all.” Egner, who lives in the vicinity of Seattle, Washington, denies the allegations accusing him of membership in the Nazi death squad. However, the U.S. Justice Department cites Nazi documents, which testify of Egner's role in the unit that executed prisoners. As a guard in the Staro Sajmiste (Old Fairgrounds) camp, Egner participated in the murder of a number of civilian hostages. He transported the hostages from the camp to the village of Jajinci, under Mt. Avala near Belgrade, where they were shot upon arrival. According to the compiled documents, in this period Egner participated in the killing of a number of Jewish women and children. During his service as a guard, Egner is also said to have participated in the transport of Jews to the Staro Sajmiste camp, where they were later gassed in a truck on the way from the Belgrade district of Zemun to Jajinci.

U.S. asked to extradite ex-Nazi to Serbia

Serbia wants Egner's extradition so that he could face charges of participation in the murder of 17,000 civilians, mostly Jews and Roma, as well as political prisoners, in the period from 1941 to 1943, during the Nazi occupation of Serbia and then Yugoslavia.

Serbia issued an international warrant for the arrest of Egner in April, and in November the country requested that the U.S. authorities should extradite him so that he could stand genocide trial.

Egner emigrated to the U.S. in 1960, gaining American citizenship six years later.

WJC President Ronald Lauder pointed out that the charges against Egner are “so horrendous that no further time must be wasted,” and that “justice done belatedly is still better than justice not done at all.”

Egner, who lives in the vicinity of Seattle, Washington, denies the allegations accusing him of membership in the Nazi death squad.

However, the U.S. Justice Department cites Nazi documents, which testify of Egner's role in the unit that executed prisoners.

As a guard in the Staro Sajmište (Old Fairgrounds) camp, Egner participated in the murder of a number of civilian hostages. He transported the hostages from the camp to the village of Jajinci, under Mt. Avala near Belgrade, where they were shot upon arrival. According to the compiled documents, in this period Egner participated in the killing of a number of Jewish women and children.

During his service as a guard, Egner is also said to have participated in the transport of Jews to the Staro Sajmište camp, where they were later gassed in a truck on the way from the Belgrade district of Zemun to Jajinci.