Berlin - Berlin officials are expecting the United States to expel war-crimes suspect John Demjanjuk, 88, on Monday next week to face possible trial in Germany for assisting in at least 29,000 Nazi death-camp murders.

Ulrich Staudigl, a spokesman for the Justice Ministry in Berlin, said Thursday, "The way things are looking now, I can confirm that Demjanjuk will probably arrive in Munich on Monday."

Demjanjuk's German lawyer had said the previous day he was expecting his client next week. Munich prosecutors issued a warrant three weeks ago for the arrest of the Ukrainian-born man, who has been stripped on his US citizenship and is now stateless.

Germany suspects him of working as a Nazi guard at Sobibor concentration camp, at a location which is now part of Poland, while at least 29,000 Jews were put to death there.

Demjanjuk was acquitted in 1993 by the Israeli Supreme Court of charges that he worked at a different death camp, Treblinka.

Guenther Maull, the German defence lawyer, said he expected his client would be kept in the medical-care department of Stadelheim Prison in Munich, but he could be also be moved to the secure wing of a hospital at suburban Straubing if his health deteriorated.

German evidence suggests Demjanjuk, then 23, was a guard at Sobibor from March till the end of September 1943. After the Second World War he lived in Germany as a refugee. In 1952 he changed his first name from Ivan to John and moved to the United States.

Washington cannot prosecute him over the allegations, but has been eager to expel the 88-year-old former US car worker.

A senior Munich prosecutor, Manfred Noetzel, said last week that a war crimes trial involving Demjanjuk was likely to require a major effort and a lot of time.

Maull said the Demjanjuk family had told him that accused suffered from kidney stones and a bone-marrow disease. (dpa)