Doctors to examine US man sought by Poland in Nazi case

American authorities are moving ahead with Poland’s request to extradite a 99-year-old Minnesota man to be tried on allegations he was involved in a World War II massacre of civilians, Polish prosecutors say.

Polish authorities issued an arrest warrant last year after opening a case following a series of 2013 reports in which The Associated Press identified the man as Ukrainian-born Michael Karkoc, an ex-commander in an SS-led Nazi unit that burned Polish villages and killed civilians during the war.

Karkoc’s family denies that he was involved in any war crimes.

Last July, Poland asked US authorities to hand over Karkoc, who lives in Minneapolis, so he could face a court trial.

National Remembrance Institute prosecutor Robert Janicki says that in response to Poland’s extradition request, American authorities have now chosen three medical experts to determine whether Karkoc can “consciously take part in a court trial and travel by plane.” The timing of the examination was not immediately known.

It was the first sign of progress made on the extradition request.

— AP