Despite the fact that Austrian government officials have told the media that Asner lost Austrian citizenship after obtaining Croatian citizenship, he continues to live in Klagenfurt and one wonders what should happen for the Austrian government to finally extradite him to Croatia, Zuroff said in the letter.
Asner's age is no secret and I believe that each day that passes without practical progress only brings him closer to escaping justice, Zuroff said, calling on Austria to take necessary steps to speed up the extradition procedure.
The Austrian Justice Ministry in February confirmed that Asner had lost Austrian citizenship and that it was up to the Carinthia provincial court to decide on his extradition.
Ministry spokesman Christoph Poechinger said the Carinthian government's citizenship department had adopted a decision stripping Asner of Austrian citizenship.
In the early 1990s Asner applied for and was granted Croatian citizenship without having applied in time for keeping Austrian citizenship. He applied for the latter subsequently but failed to inform the Austrian authorities that in the meantime he had been granted Croatian citizenship. Consequently, Asner could not keep his Austrian citizenship.
Croatia requested Asner's extradition from Austria last September but the request could not be processed because Austrian law stipulates that Austrian citizens cannot be extradited.
Asner is suspected of having committed war crimes against civilians as a police chief in Slavonska Pozega, Croatia, in 1941-42.