German court: Trial of Nazi guard unlikely to be restarted

BERLIN – A German court says it’s unlikely the trial of a former Nazi concentration camp guard that collapsed in December over concerns about the defendant’s health will resume, after a doctor found the 95-year-old still unfit to face the court.

The Muenster state court said Monday that judges still need to make a final decision and the prosecution can appeal, but it seems unlikely Johann Rehbogen’s trial can be restarted.

The trial was broken off in December after Rehbogen, a former SS guard at the Stutthof concentration camp, was hospitalized for heart and kidney issues, causing several hearings to be cancelled.

The court ended the trial under German legal regulations preventing overly long gaps, but said it could be restarted from the beginning if Rehbogen’s health improved.