— A German court has ordered John Demjanjuk released pending an appeal of his conviction as an accessory to murder at a Nazi death camp.
Presiding Judge Ralph Alt made the announcement as he wrapped up his verdict Thursday in the 91-year-old’s trial. It could take six months or more for an appeal verdict to come.
It’s not unusual for people awaiting appeals in Germany to be freed — and Alt said that Demjanjuk, who is stateless and was deported from the U.S. two years ago, has no opportunity to flee. It wasn’t immediately clear where he would go.