Most Wanted Nazi Suspect Csatary Denies War Crimes

Top Nazi war crimes suspect Laszlo Csatary, accused of overseeing the deportation of thousands of Jews to their deaths during World War II, denied all allegations against him at a first hearing before prosecutors in Hungary on Tuesday, his lawyer said.

"Csatary denied all allegations against him," the 97-year-old man's lawyer, Gabor Horvath, told journalists after a three-hour closed-door hearing.

The Nazi-hunting Simon Wiesenthal Center says Csatary was a senior Hungarian police officer in charge of the Kosice ghetto and that he helped organize the deportation to Ukraine and the Nazi death camp Auschwitz of some 15,700 Jews between 1941 and 1944.

No formal charges have been laid by Hungary against Csatary, who appeared in person before the prosecutors in Budapest at Tuesday's hearing.