No one is waiting for a report on what is going on in court today. It is the news of the day - all media outlets opened with it so I take it that you know about the chaos that went on and the sick play by Demjanjuk. And if you still do not know you're probably not interested. I can therefore save myself the trouble. Fortunately. Because I'm tired. I am just writing because it helps me to organize my own thoughts.  

What a huge mess! It is a myth that the Germans are good organizers. Some are and some are not. Justice in Munich falls under the second category. The disorder for the press and for the families that wanted to join us in court was indescribable. From half past five in the morning, people were waiting in the cold to get in. The hall was opened at half past nine. The police had blocked the sidewalk for the queue.
There was a tactful sign: 'Demjanjuk Assembly Point'.

We were promised strict security measures. No cell phones, no water bottles and a security check that would be stricter than on a flight to the USA. In order to avoid the press, our co-prosecutors' bus stopped 500 meters from the building. We were dropped off at a rarely used entrance. So we escaped the press and came inside unhindered. Unhindered and uncontrolled. Strangely enough, the women in our company were searched while the men simply walked by. No controls, you could go in the courthouse wherever you wanted. "Munich makes a fool of itself!" was the headline tonight in a big evening newspaper. It couldn't have been said better.

Well, to our relief the trial started, albeit fifteen minutes late. But no one was paying attention. Just as we expected, Demjanjuk was wheeled into the courtroom, hanging crooked in his wheelchair,. After lunch he entered lying down. My place in the hall is right behind Demjanjuk, less than four meters away. I had to stop myself from shooting spit balls at him. I would love to do it and you never know. Perhaps he would be so startled that he would get up suddenly. In any case, we were pleased that the three doctors said that Demjanjuk was healthy enough to stand trial.

About the procedure itself, I can not write. Fortunately there are specialists who do that. But there is one thing I do want to get off my mind. Demjanjuk's lawyer had the gall to compare his client to the victims of the holocaust.

According to Ulrich Busch, Demjanjuk had only worked for the Nazis to save his life, just as the Jews did. That said, for the first time, I felt really shocked and physically sick. And angry, so very angry. I am not alone, the shudder that went through the hall was keenly felt. Our lawyer responded adequately with only one sentence: "Demjanjuk murdered, the Jews were murdered."

Just a word about our Dutch ambassador who took the trouble to come from Berlin to Munich for us. He spoke to us at length and it was noticeable that he was genuinely engaging with us. This was confirmed when he appeared at our joint dinner.
Excellent!

Finally, a scoop. This picture is a picture of the sick room in the prison hospital where Herr Demjanjuk (as he is consistently called by everyone in court) resides. No less than 24 square meters are at Herr D's disposal. And of course every imaginable medical device. What an irony. In Dutch elderly homes six people have to share that amount of space.

Tomorrow day two.