Serbia to investigate suspected WWII war criminal

01/09/2008

BELGRADE, Serbia -- The country's war crimes prosecutors have gathered enough data to launch an investigation of Peter Egner, a former Gestapo officer living in the United States who allegedly killed thousands of civilians during World War II. "In co-operation with the US State Department's Office for War Crimes Issues and the US Embassy in Belgrade, we have found enough information to justify an investigation," Bruno Vekaric, spokesman for Serbia's war crimes prosecutor's office, said on Saturday (August 30th). The office has already filed a motion with the Belgrade district court to launch a probe of Egner on suspicion of committing genocide and other war crimes. Prosecutors say that as a Gestapo officer in 1941 and 1942, Egner established and worked in several concentration camps in Belgrade and had involvement in the executions of Jews and other civilians, including women and children. Serbian media reports suggest he was responsible for the deaths of about 17,000 civilians. (Kathimerini - 31/08/08; B92, AFP, AP - 30/08/08)