Justice Minister Tomáš Borec has an interest in seeing alleged war criminal László Csatáry, who served as a senior police functionary and representative of the Hungarian occupation administration in Košice in the 1940s, extradited to Slovakia for prosecution.
On Friday (July 27), the Justice Ministry sent the file to the relevant Košice District Court I empowering it take action without delay. If the court decides to issue a European arrest warrant, the Justice Ministry will provide all necessary cooperation, although it cannot and will not interfere in verdicts of the judiciary. "Regardless of the time that has elapsed, these crimes must be punished and cannot enjoy any statute of limitations," stressed Borec as quoted by the TASR newswire.
Csatáry, now 97, is suspected of abusing Jews and assisting in sending thousands of them from Košice to the Auschwitz concentration camp during WWII. He is a Hungarian national but his crimes were committed in what is now Slovakia. Csatáry is currently under house arrest in Hungary after being detained on July 18. The Hungarian authorities have charged him with the "unlawful torture of humans". Slovak Jews have called for Csatáry's extradition so that he can stand trial in Slovakia. [Csatáry was sentenced to death in absentia in Slovakia back in 1948, the daily Sme wrote – ed. note.]
Borec told Sme on Monday that he asked the due court for a fast-tracked proceeding when requesting Csatáry’s extradition from Hungary. On Monday, Distroct Court Košice I did not know anything about the matter, however. If the court issues a European warrant, it will send the information to the due court in Hungary – which will then decide whether Csatáry will be extradited. Borec admits a problem, according to Sme: Csatáry is currently being prosecuted in Hungary for the same crimes that he committed in Slovakia. Moreover, he has Hungarian citizenship – one more argument not to extradite him.
(Source: TASR, Sme)
Compiled by Zuzana Vilikovská from press reports
The Slovak Spectator cannot vouch for the accuracy of the information presented in its Flash News postings.
