Family Has Emotional Meeting With Demjanjuk in Prison on 67th Birthday

Accused Nazi war criminal John Demjanjuk observed his 67th birthday Friday in an Israeli prison with a visit from his family.

Irene Nishnik, 27, daughter of the man accused of being “Ivan the Terrible,” described the family’s 90-minute meeting with Demjanjuk at Ramla Prison as emotional.

Also attending were Demjanjuk’s other daughter, Lydia Maday, 37, his son, John Jr., 21, and his 15-month-old grandson, Eddie.

“We wished him a happy birthday,” Nishnik said, but added that the family is not allowed to give him letters or cards. “I doubt that we would be allowed to give him a cake.”

The family visit was held in a sunny courtyard of the prison instead of the customary place of visitation--right outside Demjanjuk’s cell, Nishnik said.

“Birthdays have always been real special in our family,” she said. “His last one was in prison. Hopefully, his next one will be at home where he belongs.”

Demjanjuk, a Ukrainian who emigrated to the United States after World War II, is on trial for his life. If convicted, Demjanjuk could be sentenced to death by hanging.

The retired Cleveland auto worker is accused of being Ivan the Terrible, the notorious gas chamber operator at the Treblinka death camp where 850,000 people, mostly Jews, were killed from 1942 to 1943.

He was stripped of his American citizenship and extradited to Israel to stand trial.

Demjanjuk maintains that the accusations are a case of mistaken identity.