Polish court issues arrest warrant for ex-Nazi living in Minnesota

A court in eastern Poland has issued an arrest warrant for a Minnesota man sought in a Nazi massacre, opening the way for Poland to seek his extradition from the United States.

The Associated Press had previously identified the man as 98-year-old Michael Karkoc, an ex-commander in an SS-led unit that burned Polish villages and killed civilians in World War II.

Earlier this week, prosecutors from the Institute of National Remembrance said evidence shows that American citizen Michael K. was a commander of a unit in the SS-led Ukrainian Self Defense Legion that raided Polish villages.

They sought an arrest warrant for him from a court in eastern Poland, a step toward extradition.

Judge Dariusz Abamowicz tells the AP Wednesday the regional court in Lublin issued a warrant after concluding that there was “high probability” the suspect committed the war crimes listed by prosecutors.

Karkoc must be present in court in Poland since the country does not recognize trial in absentia.

It was not immediately clear when Poland’s Justice Ministry would send the extradition motion to US justice authorities.

— AP

Most Popular
If you’d like to comment, join
The Times of Israel Community.
Join The Times of Israel Community
Commenting is available for paying members of The Times of Israel Community only. Please join our Community to comment and enjoy other Community benefits.
Please use the following structure: example@domain.com
Confirm Mail
Thank you! Now check your email
You are now a member of The Times of Israel Community! We sent you an email with a login link to . Once you're set up, you can start enjoying Community benefits and commenting.