Londoner to face Nazi war crimes trial

A 77-year-old east London man faces trial over Nazi atrocities after Scotland Yard charged him last night with five counts of murdering Jews in German-occupied Belarus during the Second World War.

The decision to prosecute Andrzej Sawoniuk, a retired railway worker, was made by the Crown Prosecution Service several weeks ago and was awaiting the go-ahead from the Attorney-General, John Morris.

Mr Sawoniuk was arrested and charged and bailed to appear at Bow Street Magistrates Court on 30 October. The prosecution is likely to be the first full-scale war-crimes trial since the collapse of the case against Szymon Serafinowicz, found unfit to plead in January.