War crimes prosecutors welcome extradition appeal dismissal

Antipodean Andy · Apr 23, 2008

Jewish group welcomes Zentai decision - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

An organisation involved in the prosecution of Nazi war crimes has welcomed the High Court of Australia's dismissal of an appeal by the alleged war criminal Charles Zentai, against his extradition.

86-year-old Mr Zentai is wanted in Hungary for his alleged involvement in the murder of a Jewish teenager in Budapest in 1944.

Mr Zentai argued that state magistrates did not have the legislative powers to carry out the functions of the Commonwealth extradition act but today the court ruled against that saying the laws were constitutionally valid.

The extradition case will now be heard in the Perth Magistrates Court at a date yet to be set.

The director of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre in Israel, Efraim Zuroff, says the teenager's family wants the case to be heard soon.

"They hoped and expected that he would be extradited to stand trial in Budapest where the crime took place and that justice would be achieved," he said.

"But instead what we've achieved is just an almost interminable series of delays that have nothing to do with the case itself.

"Now we call upon the judicial system to expedite this case so that Zentai can have his appeal and that he can hopefully be extradited as quickly as possible to stand trial in Hungary."
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Antipodean Andy · Aug 13, 2008

Extradition fight continues

Alleged war criminal continues extradition fight - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

The son of alleged Nazi war criminal Charles Zentai says he is doubtful about his father's chances of successfully fighting extradition to Hungary to face war crimes.

Mr Zentai, aged 86, is accused of torturing and killing a Jewish man in Budapest during World War II.

Mr Zentai took his fight against the extradition application to the High Court, but it was rejected in April.

He made a brief appearance in court today and his bail was extended until August 18, when he will appear in court again to continue fighting the extradition over three days.

His son, Ernie Steiner, says the family wants the matter to be resolved soon.

"It'll all be happening on the 18th, 19th and 20th," he said.

"No, no we're not confident, but we hope for the best."
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spidge · Aug 13, 2008

Heart wrenching for his family however (if guilty) I have no pity for him or those like him.

Kyt · Aug 13, 2008

Charles Zentai - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Antipodean Andy · Aug 18, 2008

Court hears alleged Nazi war crimes | NEWS.com.au

ALLEGED Nazi war criminal Charles Zentai in Hungary in November 1944 assaulted a young Jewish man "so badly'' that he died, the Perth Magistrate's court has been told.

Mr Zentai, now 86, was a member of the horse-drawn train division of the Hungarian royal army when he recognised Peter Balazs, who was from his home town of Budafot, near Budapest.

Commonwealth Prosecutor Michael Corboy today told the Perth court that Mr Zentai and two accomplices took Mr Balazs to the army part of his military unit and assaulted the 18-year-old from three o'clock in the afternoon until the evening hours.

"He (had) recognised this person as someone who resided in (Budafot),'' Mr Corboy told the court.

Mr Corboy said Mr Balazs had not been wearing the yellow star identifying him as a Jew.

It is alleged that Mr Zentai and two others then attached the teenager's body to a ballast and threw it in the Danube River.

Mr Zentai is attending a three-day hearing to decide whether he should be extradicted to Hungary to face war crime charges.

Commonwealth prosecutors and Zentai's lawyers will argue whether or not the court should recommend to the Federal Government that the case complies with the provisions of the Extradition Act.

It will then be up the federal Attorney-General Robert McClelland to decide whether to surrender him to Hungary.

In April this year, Mr Zentai lost a High Court challenge against the power of a state magistrate to rule on extradition matters.

The Magistrate's court today heard that criminal proceedings against Mr Zentai started in April 1948 when an arrest warrant was issued.

The Hungarian Government began extraction proceedings in Australia in March 2005.

The Simon Wiesenthal Centre lists Mr Zentai at number seven on its list of the 10 most wanted suspected Nazi war criminals.
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Antipodean Andy · Aug 19, 2008

Court blow for Nazi war crimes suspect | NEWS.com.au

A PERTH magistrate has found that alleged Nazi war criminal, 86-year-old Charles Zentai is eligible for extradition to Hungary.

Mr Zentai, a Perth resident, is alleged to have killed an 18-year-old Jewish man in Budapest on the 8th November 1944.

Magistrate Barbara Lane said Mr Zentai's case and circumstances meet the requirements of the Australian Extradition Act and the Extradition Treaty between Australia and the Republic of Hungary.

"I determine that Mr Zentai is eligible for surrender to the Republic of Hungary ... and therefore he is remanded in custody,'' Ms Lane said today in the Perth Magistrate's Court.

She said Mr Zentai's lawyers can apply to the Federal Court to have the order reviewed within 15 days.

Mr Zentai's lawyers will today make a special application for bail.
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Kyt · Aug 20, 2008

Hope justice is done, one way or another...be it finding him guilty or inncocent

Antipodean Andy · Mar 12, 2009

The truth won't set me free: Zentai - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

A Perth man wanted in Hungary over the murder of a Jewish man during World War II says a polygraph test shows he is telling the truth - but he still wants to avoid facing court in Hungary.

Charles Zentai has consistently denied killing the man in Budapest in 1944 and he has been fighting extradition for the past four years.

The 87-year-old former Hungarian soldier is due to appear in the Federal Court in Perth today.

Mr Zentai says he felt he had to do the test last week "mainly to satisfy myself and my family and the media".

"I went through the mills and everybody was throwing accusations at me, media and everybody, and well, I was just getting tired of it all and I thought I had to do this for myself as well."

The results of the polygraph test indicated Mr Zentai was telling the truth but he says that is not enough to make him confident to appear in a Hungarian court.

"How can I hope to get a fair trial?" he asked.

Australian Polygraph Services examiner Gavin Willson, who carried out the test, says he is confident Mr Zentai is telling the truth.

"My conclusions were, once I finished the test that I was more than happy with the results," he said.

"There was nothing, absolutely nothing, to indicate that he was being deceptive to me at any time prior to conducting the test and during the test itself."

Polygraph test results are generally not accepted as evidence in Australian courts, because there is continuing debate about their accuracy.

Associate Professor for Forensic Science at Murdoch University Judith Fordham says this debate also exists in courts overseas.

"They are not accepted in many US courts either, although the US is the land of the polygraph, if you like," she said.

"The sorts of reasons are that there is a huge debate about their accuracy for starters - people can beat them.

"Lie detectors don't tell you... whether someone has actually lied.

"What they do is tell you how someone is operating physiologically, how much they are sweating etc. It doesn't tell you if they are lying or not."

Mr Zentai has been appealing against his extradition on the grounds that Hungary applied retrospective legislation when it issued its request.

He said he will lodge a further appeal if today's ruling in the Federal Court goes against him.
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war hawk · Mar 12, 2009

I hope he pays for his crime( if he commited it).

Antipodean Andy · Apr 2, 2009

Zentai loses extradition appeal - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

The Federal Court has dismissed an appeal against a ruling that an 86-year-old Perth man can be extradited to Hungary to face trial for an alleged war crime.

Charles Zentai is accused of beating a Jewish teenager to death during the Nazi occupation of Budapest in 1944.

He denies the allegation and has spent more than three years fighting attempts to send him to Hungary to face the charge.

Justice John Gilmour today ruled in favour of a magistrate's decision last year that Mr Zentai is eligible for extradition.

However Justice Gilmour granted a seven-day stay of execution of the ruling to allow Mr Zentai's lawyers time to consider an appeal to the full Federal Court.

Mr Zentai's son, Ernie Steiner, says the family still has several options to consider.

"It's not over by a long shot because we also have rights of appeal to the Attorney General and to the Minister for Home Affairs," he said.

"So we have very lengthy submissions.

"We're disappointed but you know we're not without hope, so while we've still got that hope we just look to the next step, and we've always said that we place trust in the Australian legal system."
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liverpool annie · Apr 2, 2009

They are going to just hang out this case until it's too late and Charles Zentai dies ...... !! we don't all have to be rocket scientists to see that :der:

I feel for the teenagers family though !

Antipodean Andy · Apr 21, 2009

Zentai extradition proceedings halted - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

The Federal Court has agreed to suspend extradition proceedings against an accused war criminal so he can seek further medical tests.

Perth man Charles Zentai, 87, denies accusations he beat a Jewish teenager to death in Budapest during World War II.

The Federal Court last week rejected Mr Zentai's appeal against his extradition to Hungary but has suspended proceedings to give him time to tender the new medical report.

The matter is due to return to court on May 11.
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