The District Court in the southern city of Krakow has rejected the Prosecutor’s Office’s petition to issue a European arrest warrant for Anders Hogstrom, Swedish citizen accused of masterminding the theft of the Auschwitz “Arbeit Macht Frei” sign.
The petition was rejected because the Prosecutor’s Office had not gather credible documents, which would prove that Anders Hogstrom is currently in Sweden or any other EU member state. Now the Prosecutor’s Office needs to establish where the accused is before the case can proceed. If it turns out that Hogstrom fled Europe, a European arrest warrant will be of no use. The “Arbeit Macht Frei” sign from the Auschwitz gate was stolen on 18 December and recovered after three days around 600 kilometers from the former death camp. Five Poles and a Swede Anders Hogstrom were accused of committing the theft.
