The World - News from March 31, 1988

The court presiding over the Nazi war crimes trial of retired U.S. auto worker John Demjanjuk will announce its verdict April 18, the Israeli government said. Demjanjuk, 67, is accused of being “Ivan the Terrible,” a sadistic guard at the Treblinka death camp in Nazi-occupied Poland, where 850,000 Jews and other people perished during World War II. If convicted, Demjanjuk could be sentenced to death. The Ukrainian-born defendant claims he is a victim of mistaken identity. Demjanjuk was extradited to Israel in February, 1986, and his trial ended Feb. 10 after a year of testimony.