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			{{Short description\|Croatian police chief and war criminal}}{{Use dmy dates\|date=September 2020}}
	{{Infobox person		{{Infobox person
	\| ~~name~~ = ~~Milivoj Ašner~~		\| honorific_prefix =
	\| ~~image~~ =		\| name = Đuro Milivoj Ašner
	\| ~~image_size~~ =		\| image = Milivoj Ašner MUP wanted list.jpg
	\| ~~caption~~ =		\| image_size = 220px
	\| ~~birth_name~~ =		\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1913\|04\|21\|df=y}}
			\| birth_place = ], ], ]
	\| birth_date = {{Birth date\|1913\|04\|21}}
	\| ~~birth_place~~ = ], ]		\| death_date = {{Death date and age\|2011\|06\|14\|1913\|04\|21\|df=y}}
	\| ~~residence~~ = ], ]		\| death_place = ], ]
			\| resting_place =
			\| resting_place_coordinates = <!-- {{Coord\|LAT\|LONG\|type:landmark\|display=inline}} -->
	\| nationality = ]		\| nationality = ]
	\| other_names = Georg Aschner		\| other_names = Georg Aschner
	\| ~~citizenship~~ = ~~]<br>]~~		\| alma_mater =
	\| occupation = ~~Policeman~~		\| occupation = Police officer
	\| years_active = ~~1941-1945~~		\| years_active = 1941–1945
			\| known_for = Accused for expulsion and deportation of hundreds of ], ] and ]
	\| religion = ]
	\| ~~denomination~~ =		\| party =
	\| ~~criminal_charge~~ = ~~Accused~~ ~~for~~ ~~the~~ ~~deaths~~ of ~~hundreds~~ of ], ~~] and~~ ]		\| spouse =
		⚫	\| awards =
			\| signature =
	}}		}}
	'''Milivoj Ašner''' (born 21 April 1913) is a former police chief in the ] who is accused for enforcing ] laws under Croatia's ]-allied ] regime, which murdered hundreds of thousands of ], ] and ]. Born in ], he resides in ] as of 2010.

			'''Đuro Milivoj Ašner''' (21 April 1913 – 14 June 2011) was a police chief in the ] who was accused of enforcing ] laws under the ]-allied ] regime and expulsion and deportation of hundreds of ], ] and ].<ref name=Vecernji>{{cite news \|title=Ratni zločinac Milivoj Ašner umro u Klagenfurtu u 98. godini \|url=http://www.vecernji.hr/vijesti/ratni-zlocinac-milivoj-asner-umro-klagenfurtu-98-godini-clanak-302606 \|newspaper=] \|date=20 June 2011 \|language=Croatian \|archivedate=4 June 2012 \|url-status=live \|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120604023832/http://www.vecernji.hr/vijesti/ratni-zlocinac-milivoj-asner-umro-klagenfurtu-98-godini-clanak-302606 \|accessdate=26 July 2012}}</ref> He was 4th on the ]'s ] and on the ]'s most wanted list also.<ref name="Ya'ar">{{cite news \|title=WWII Nazi War Criminal Milivoj Asner Dies Free in Austria \|author=Ya'ar, Chana \|url=http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/145069#.UBGOAmGREvE \|newspaper=] \|date=20 June 2011 \|archivedate=4 June 2012 \|url-status=live \|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120604185039/http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/145069 \|accessdate=26 July 2012}}</ref>
	== Post war flight ==
	Ašner fled to Austria at the end of the war in 1945 and adopted the name George Aschner.

			Ašner himself admitted the deportations of Serbs to ], but denied there was any deportations to the camps, as he stated, "such moves would be expensive, as one must feed and restrain the prisoners."<ref name=Jutarnji>{{cite news \|title=Ašner: Moraju me osloboditi jer sam Hrvat po rođenju \|url=http://www.jutarnji.hr/asner--moraju-me-osloboditi-jer-sam-hrvat-po-rodenju/254552/ \|newspaper=] \|date=19 June 2008 \|language=Croatian \|archivedate=26 August 2011 \|url-status=dead \|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110826024838/http://www.jutarnji.hr/asner--moraju-me-osloboditi-jer-sam-hrvat-po-rodenju/254552/ \|accessdate=27 July 2012}}</ref>
⚫	== Efforts to prosecute ==
⚫	In 2005, Croatia indicted Ašner for ]<ref name=Praise>, Associated Press (''International Herald Tribune''), 20 June 2008.</ref> and ] in the city of ] in ~~1941 - 1942~~. In February 2006, Austrian judicial officials said they were close to deciding on whether to arrest Ašner.

			==Life==
	Austrian officials initially ruled he could not be handed over to Croatian authorities because he held Austrian citizenship.<ref name=Praise/> However, subsequent investigations by the state attorney's office in the province of ] where Ašner lives revealed that he no longer holds citizenship in Austria.
			Ašner was born in ], in the ] which was then part of the ]. After the establishment of the ] in 1941, he became chief of police in ]. After the collapse of the Independent State of Croatia Ašner retreated towards ], where he took a new name, Georg Aschner.<ref name=JG>{{cite news\|title=Preminuo šef ustaške policije Milivoj Ašner\|author=G.J.\|url=http://dnevnik.hr/vijesti/svijet/preminuo-milivoj-asner.html\|publisher=]\|date=20 June 2011\|archivedate=24 August 2011\|url-status=live\|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110824045024/http://dnevnik.hr/vijesti/svijet/preminuo-milivoj-asner.html\|accessdate=27 July 2012}}</ref>

			In 1992, after Croatia declared itself independent, Ašner returned to Croatia, living in Požega until 2004 when Alen Budaj,<ref>{{cite web\|url=http://www.balkanpeace.org/index.php?index=article&articleid=12463\|title=Peace of mind: Success in Online Casinos\|publisher=balkanpeace.org\|accessdate=15 November 2016}}</ref> a historian and associate of the Israeli Simon Wiesenthal Centre located him there. That same year, the director of the centre, ], brought the documents on Ašner to the Croatian Prosecutor's Office. Ašner fled to Austria. In 2005, the Republic of Croatia accused him of crimes against the civilians and asked for his extradition from Austria.
⚫	He ~~remains~~ on ]'s most wanted list,<ref></ref>
⚫	and is considered by the ] as the ~~number 4~~ most wanted Nazi at large.,<ref>~~Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC)'s~~ , released 30 April 2008, accessed 2008-06-17</ref><ref>"Fugitive Hunt", '']'', ], July/August 2008</ref>

			In 2008, Austria refused on the grounds that Ašner suffered from severe ] and unfit to stand trial.<ref name=JG/><ref name=RA>{{cite news\|script-title=sr:Преминуо Миливој Ашнер\|author=A., R.\|url=http://www.politika.rs/rubrike/Svet/Umro-ratni-zlocinac-Milivoj-Asner954664.sr.html\|newspaper=]\|date=20 June 2011\|language=Serbian\|archivedate=17 September 2012\|url-status=live\|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120917034539/http://www.politika.rs/rubrike/Svet/Umro-ratni-zlocinac-Milivoj-Asner954664.sr.html\|accessdate=27 July 2012}}</ref>
	In June, 2008, journalists reported that, despite the Austrian government's claims that he is in poor health, he appeared to be physically fit based on his presence at a ] football match involving Croatia in ], where he lives.<ref>Brian Flynn, , ''The Sun'' (UK), 16 June 2008.</ref> This has prompted renewed calls for his extradition to Croatia.<ref>SWC's news release of 16 June 2008 - ""</ref> However, Carinthia Governor ] praised Ašner's family and said of Ašner that "he's lived peacefully among us for years, and he should be able to live out the twilight of his life with us". This provoked further criticism, with ] of the Simon Wiesenthal Center saying that Haider's views reflected "the political atmosphere which exists in Austria and which in certain circles is extremely sympathetic to suspected Nazi war criminals".<ref name=Praise/>

		⚫	==Efforts to prosecute==
	== Denial of involvement ==
		⚫	In 2005, Croatia indicted Ašner for ]<ref name=Praise> {{webarchive \|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090210033141/http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/06/20/europe/EU-GEN-My-Neighbor-the-Nazi.php \|date=10 February 2009 }}, Associated Press (''International Herald Tribune''), 20 June 2008</ref> and ] in the city of ] in 1941–42. In February 2006, Austrian judicial officials said they were close to deciding on whether to arrest Ašner. Austrian officials initially ruled he could not be handed over to Croatian authorities as he held Austrian citizenship.<ref name=Praise/>
⚫	In an interview that aired in Croatia on 19 June 2008, Ašner ~~said~~ that he was involved in deportations, but maintained that those who were deported were taken not to death camps, as is generally believed, but to their homelands instead. He ~~said that~~ his conscience was clear and that he was willing to go on trial in Croatia, but also asserted that his health was a problem. In an examination in the same week, it was again decided ~~that~~ he was mentally unfit. ~~However,~~ Zuroff expressed the suspicion that Ašner was pretending or exaggerating regarding his condition.<ref name=Praise/>

		⚫	He remained on ]'s most wanted list,<ref>{{Cite web \|url=http://www.interpol.int/public/Data/Wanted/Notices/Data/2005/23/2005_29623.asp \|title=Ašner's entry in Interpol Wanted list \|access-date=17 June 2008 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110622083109/http://www.interpol.int/public/Data/Wanted/Notices/Data/2005/23/2005_29623.asp \|archive-date=22 June 2011 \|url-status=dead}}</ref>
	==See also==
		⚫	and was considered by the ] as the fourth most wanted Nazi at large.<ref>, released 30 April 2008; accessed 2008-06-17</ref><ref>"Fugitive Hunt", ''Dateline World Jewry'', ], July/August 2008</ref>
⚫	*]

			In June 2008, the then controversial Governor of Carinthia, ], praised Ašner's family as friendly and said of Ašner that "he's lived peacefully among us for years, and he should be able to live out the twilight of his life with us". This provoked further criticism, with ] of the Simon Wiesenthal Center saying that Haider's views reflected "the political atmosphere which exists in Austria and which in certain circles is extremely sympathetic to suspected Nazi war criminals".<ref name=Praise/>

		⚫	In an interview that aired in Croatia on 19 June 2008, Ašner acknowledged that he was involved in deportations, but maintained that those who were deported were taken not to death camps, as is generally believed, but to their homelands instead. He claimed his conscience was clear and that he was willing to go on trial in Croatia, but also asserted that his health was a problem. In an examination in the same week, it was again decided he was mentally unfit. Zuroff expressed the suspicion that Ašner was pretending or exaggerating regarding his condition.<ref name=Praise/>

			==Death==
			Milivoj Ašner died on 14 June 2011 in his room in a ] nursing home in ]. His death was announced on 20 June 2011.<ref name=Vecernji/>

		⚫	==References==

			{{Reflist}}

			==External links==
		⚫	* , U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum website

⚫	==References ~~and external links~~==
	{{reflist}}
⚫	* ~~- US~~ Holocaust Memorial Museum
	* {{hr icon}} - Ašner's entry in the ]'s most wanted list
	{{Nazis South America\|state=collapsed}}		{{Nazis South America\|state=collapsed}}
	{{See also\|Ašner}}

	{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see ]. -->
⚫	\| ~~NAME~~ = ~~Asner,~~ ~~Milivoj~~
	\| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
	\| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
	\| DATE OF BIRTH =
	\| PLACE OF BIRTH =
	\| DATE OF DEATH =
	\| PLACE OF DEATH =
	}}
	{{DEFAULTSORT:Asner, Milivoj}}		{{DEFAULTSORT:Asner, Milivoj}}
	]		]
	]		]
	]		]
	]		]
	]		]
		⚫	]
		⚫	]
	]		]
⚫	]
	]		]
	]		]
	]		]
	]		]
	]

	]
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Latest revision as of 10:09, 13 August 2024

Croatian police chief and war criminal

Đuro Milivoj Ašner

Born	(1913-04-21)21 April 1913 Daruvar, Croatia-Slavonia, Austria-Hungary
Died	14 June 2011(2011-06-14) (aged 98) Klagenfurt, Austria
Nationality	Croat
Other names	Georg Aschner
Occupation	Police officer
Years active	1941–1945
Known for	Accused for expulsion and deportation of hundreds of Serbs, Jews and Gypsies

Đuro Milivoj Ašner (21 April 1913 – 14 June 2011) was a police chief in the Independent State of Croatia who was accused of enforcing racist laws under the Nazi-allied Ustaše regime and expulsion and deportation of hundreds of Serbs, Jews and Romani. He was 4th on the Simon Wiesenthal Center's list of most wanted Nazi war criminals and on the Interpol's most wanted list also.

Ašner himself admitted the deportations of Serbs to Serbia, but denied there was any deportations to the camps, as he stated, "such moves would be expensive, as one must feed and restrain the prisoners."

Life

Ašner was born in Daruvar, in the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia which was then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. After the establishment of the Independent State of Croatia in 1941, he became chief of police in Požega. After the collapse of the Independent State of Croatia Ašner retreated towards Austria, where he took a new name, Georg Aschner.

In 1992, after Croatia declared itself independent, Ašner returned to Croatia, living in Požega until 2004 when Alen Budaj, a historian and associate of the Israeli Simon Wiesenthal Centre located him there. That same year, the director of the centre, Efraim Zuroff, brought the documents on Ašner to the Croatian Prosecutor's Office. Ašner fled to Austria. In 2005, the Republic of Croatia accused him of crimes against the civilians and asked for his extradition from Austria.

In 2008, Austria refused on the grounds that Ašner suffered from severe dementia and unfit to stand trial.

Efforts to prosecute

In 2005, Croatia indicted Ašner for crimes against humanity and war crimes in the city of Požega in 1941–42. In February 2006, Austrian judicial officials said they were close to deciding on whether to arrest Ašner. Austrian officials initially ruled he could not be handed over to Croatian authorities as he held Austrian citizenship.

He remained on Interpol's most wanted list, and was considered by the Simon Wiesenthal Center as the fourth most wanted Nazi at large.

In June 2008, the then controversial Governor of Carinthia, Jörg Haider, praised Ašner's family as friendly and said of Ašner that "he's lived peacefully among us for years, and he should be able to live out the twilight of his life with us". This provoked further criticism, with Efraim Zuroff of the Simon Wiesenthal Center saying that Haider's views reflected "the political atmosphere which exists in Austria and which in certain circles is extremely sympathetic to suspected Nazi war criminals".

In an interview that aired in Croatia on 19 June 2008, Ašner acknowledged that he was involved in deportations, but maintained that those who were deported were taken not to death camps, as is generally believed, but to their homelands instead. He claimed his conscience was clear and that he was willing to go on trial in Croatia, but also asserted that his health was a problem. In an examination in the same week, it was again decided he was mentally unfit. Zuroff expressed the suspicion that Ašner was pretending or exaggerating regarding his condition.

Death

Milivoj Ašner died on 14 June 2011 in his room in a Caritas nursing home in Klagenfurt. His death was announced on 20 June 2011.

References

^ "Ratni zločinac Milivoj Ašner umro u Klagenfurtu u 98. godini". Večernji list (in Croatian). 20 June 2011. Archived from the original on 4 June 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
Ya'ar, Chana (20 June 2011). "WWII Nazi War Criminal Milivoj Asner Dies Free in Austria". Arutz Sheva. Archived from the original on 4 June 2012. Retrieved 26 July 2012.
"Ašner: Moraju me osloboditi jer sam Hrvat po rođenju". Jutarnji list (in Croatian). 19 June 2008. Archived from the original on 26 August 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
^ G.J. (20 June 2011). "Preminuo šef ustaške policije Milivoj Ašner". Dnevnik Nove TV. Archived from the original on 24 August 2011. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
"Peace of mind: Success in Online Casinos". balkanpeace.org. Retrieved 15 November 2016.
A., R. (20 June 2011). Преминуо Миливој Ашнер. Politika (in Serbian). Archived from the original on 17 September 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2012.
^ "Praise for 'treasured' Nazi suspect revives accusations that Austria is sheltering him" Archived 10 February 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Associated Press (International Herald Tribune), 20 June 2008
"Ašner's entry in Interpol Wanted list". Archived from the original on 22 June 2011. Retrieved 17 June 2008.
Simon Wiesenthal Center (SWC)'s Annual Report and Most Wanted List, released 30 April 2008; accessed 2008-06-17
"Fugitive Hunt", Dateline World Jewry, World Jewish Congress, July/August 2008

External links

Holocaust Encyclopedia Entry on Yugoslavia, U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum website

Post-war flight of Axis fugitives

Fugitives

German / Austrian	Franz Abromeit Ludolf von Alvensleben Klaus Barbie Hermine Braunsteiner Alois Brunner Adolf Eichmann Hans Eisele Aribert Heim Walter Kutschmann Johann von Leers Josef Mengele Hermann Michel Erich Priebke Walter Rauff Eduard Roschmann Walter Schreiber Horst Schumann Josef Schwammberger Franz Stangl Gustav Wagner
Croatian	Milivoj Ašner Andrija Artuković Anton Geiser Vjekoslav Luburić Ante Pavelić Ivo Rojnica Dinko Šakić Vjekoslav Vrančić
Belgian	Pierre Daye Léon Degrelle René Lagrou
Ukrainian	John Demjanjuk Feodor Fedorenko Mykola Lebed
Danish	Søren Kam Carl Værnet
Estonian	Aleksander Laak Karl Linnas
Latvian	Viktors Arājs Herberts Cukurs
Other nationalities	Tscherim Soobzokov (Circassian) Aarne Kauhanen (Finnish)

Assistance

Organizations	Ratlines
State involvement	Colonia Dignidad (Chile) Franco (Spain) Nasser (Egypt) Perón (Argentina) Videla (Argentina) Operation Paperclip (USA) list of scientists Operation Osoaviakhim (USSR) list of scientists Robert Leiber (Holy See) Banzer (Bolivia) Stroessner (Paraguay)
Other persons	Rodolfo Freude Alois Hudal Charles Lescat Hans-Ulrich Rudel Otto Skorzeny

Hunters

Disputed / dubious