WASHINGTON, Oct 24 (Hina) - Croatia is not obliged to, nor does it +wish or agree to accept Ferdinand Hammer, whom the US authorities +decided to deport because of his Nazi past.+ Croatian diplomats in Washington say that Hammer does
not have +Croatian citizenship, which, among other things, only confirms +Croatia's stand not to accept his deportation.+ When in April last year judge Michael Creppy asked Hammer to chose +which country he wanted to be deported to, Hammer refused to be +extradited. The judge then ruled that the country of deportation be +Croatia where, the court believes, Hammer was born.+ Ferdinand Hammer was born in Lacarak, a village near Sremska +Mitrovica, which during World War II indeed belonged to the +Independent State of Croatia (NDH), but is not on the territory of +the present-day Croatia.+ The proceedings against the former prison camp guard and member of +sp
WASHINGTON, Oct 24 (Hina) - Croatia is not obliged to, nor does it
wish or agree to accept Ferdinand Hammer, whom the US authorities
decided to deport because of his Nazi past.
Croatian diplomats in Washington say that Hammer does not have
Croatian citizenship, which, among other things, only confirms
Croatia's stand not to accept his deportation.
When in April last year judge Michael Creppy asked Hammer to chose
which country he wanted to be deported to, Hammer refused to be
extradited. The judge then ruled that the country of deportation be
Croatia where, the court believes, Hammer was born.
Ferdinand Hammer was born in Lacarak, a village near Sremska
Mitrovica, which during World War II indeed belonged to the
Independent State of Croatia (NDH), but is not on the territory of
the present-day Croatia.
The proceedings against the former prison camp guard and member of
special (SS) police units has been going on for more than two years.
The case was opened when the Justice Ministry's department for
special enquiries (OSI) discovered that Hammer had been a prison
guard in Auschwitz and later in Sachsenhausen.
Because of this, as well as because of the fact that he concealed his
past, the US authorities in 1996 revoked his citizenship.
In April 1997, a special immigration court decided that Hammer
should be banished from the United States.
This decision was confirmed last Wednesday by the appeals chamber
of the Department for Immigration, which ruled that Hammer should
be deported to Croatia where he was born, the US Justice Ministry
said in a statement.
Croatian Ambassador to the United States, Miomir Zuzul, told Mark
Richards, deputy assistant to the US Secretary of State, that the
Croatian authorities were surprised and dissatisfied with the fact
that they were notified about the deportation decision only after
it had been announced in the media.
Zuzul said that Croatia would probably not accept the 77-year-old
Hammer, who today lives in Sterling Heights, Michigan. He is a
retiree who worked as a foreman in a local foundry.
Hammer's attorney announced that he would file a complaint.
He can appeal to the appellate court and then the US Supreme Court.
Until the procedure is completed, the Justice Ministry cannot issue
the deportation order.
(hina) rml