Ivan the Terrible: Historical Profile

As time has passed, the effects of the holocaust have appalled, dazed, astounded people and shattered their hearts in sombre. The proof that humans can be so cruel has caused utter melancholy.

Ivan the terrible was a name given to a Nazi executioner at Treblinka. The notorious guard has been considered one of the world's most brutal wraths to exist. He was known to

starve Jews for days, cruelly torture them until their very last breaths, put them in gas chambers and toss them into a pit

to die. This egregious executioner has been named after the ruthless, infamous tsar of Russia.

John Demjanjuk who lived in America in his 30-something was accused of being the Ivan. however, he claimed that the case was false and of the wrong identity. According to him, he was a Ukrainian immigrant who came to the US as a labourer. As with many immigrants in America, he too lived a quiet life away from the miseries of city life. An ordinary man who was accused of being a Nazi guard was discombobulating, worrying and surprising for many other European immigrants. In Ukraine, many people celebrated when John was brought from the US to Ukraine for his trial. This was seen as a public media trial as many jews had lost someone they knew at Treblinka and the case hit too close to home.

Many news channels regularly updated the public about this case as it was seen as the trial of the century and one of the last cases about a Nazi. Many lawyers were approached with his case but no one seemed to want to be

part of this case as it would mean a "career suicide ".

Finally, when John found a lawyer it was Yoram Sheftel. His son in law also became a part of the team. John was certain in the early years about him being proven innocent but over the years he seemed to have lost the case when various witnesses came forward claiming him of being the guard.

John was about to be executed when his legal team found the Soviet Union’s record that proved that John was innocent and a photo came forward showing that Ivan the terrible was another man who was deceased and killed by one of the witnesses who claimed that John was Ivan. This unravelled the path to freedom for John as he now was left scotfree.

Many Jews cried in anger, absolutely disgusted by the judge's decision and having lost all faith in the justice system. A couple of years later John was approached by Germany who claimed John as a Nazi guard, not at Treblinka but Sobibor. A man who was 91 years old, could barely say anything or oppose their decisions. Hence he was charged for 5 years in prison, during the time in which he

passed away.

The mystery remains unsolved today. No Nazi guards can be alive from the holocaust to date and hence it is the curiosity and justice to the jews and their families that need to be served.

---