Alleged Nazi war criminal Charles Zentai loses Hungary extradition appeal

[IndianaGreen]

Source: The Australian

Alleged Nazi war criminal Charles Zentai loses Hungary extradition appeal

AAP
March 31, 2009 03:42pm

AN alleged Nazi war criminal has failed to avoid extradition to Hungary on charges of murdering a Jewish teenager in 1944.

Charles Zentai, 87, appeared in the Federal Court today to learn the outcome of his application for a review of a magistrate's ruling that he is eligible for surrender to Hungarian authorities.

Mr Zentai, of the southern Perth suburb of Willeton, had made the application on the basis that the charge against him did not constitute a war crime at the time of the murder.

Mr Zentai is alleged to have been with two other men who tortured 18-year-old Peter Balazs in Budapest in November 1944, leading to his death.

Mr Zentai says he was not even in Budapest at the time.

Justice John Gilmour upheld the ruling of magistrate Barbara Lane, concluding the charge was a war crime and an extradition offence.

Read more: http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25269626-421,00.html

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This case has been in the courts for years. Today's decision upholds the ruling by a Perth magistrate ordering Zentai's extradition to Hungary to face murder charges. Here is the link to the August 2008 Perth ruling.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,24215670-2702,00.html

[emilyg]

1. Never too late for justice.