German court stops trial of 95-year-old former death-camp guard
The defendant’s heart problems mean he is no longer considered fit to stand trial
Muenster — The trial in Germany of a 95-year-old former guard at a Nazi death camp has been stopped because of the defendant’s health problems, likely ending one of the last such prosecutions linked to the Holocaust. The defendant, a German who cannot be named for legal reasons, is no longer considered fit to stand trial, partly due to heart problems, according to a medical report, a court in the western city of Muenster said on Monday. The trial had been temporarily suspended since mid-December because of the defendant’s ill health. The court intends to halt the trial for good following the new medical examination. The court has given prosecutors, joint plaintiffs and the defence a chance to make a statement on the medical exam and is expected to make a final decision on the case around mid-March. The defendant first appeared in court in Muenster in November 2018 accused of assisting in the murder of hundreds of people at a Nazi concentration camp during World War 2. A former guard...
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