A Polish judge says three men found guilty last month in the theft of the notorious Auschwitz sign failed to show up to the prison to start their sentences.
Rafal Lisak, a judge at a Krakow court that convicted the men, says they were due to show up at a prison in Wloclawek on Tuesday but didn't appear.
The three men were given sentences in March ranging from 18 months to 2 1/2 years for their roles in the theft of the Nazi death camp sign, which reads "Arbeit Macht Frei," German for "Work Sets You Free."
Lisak says it is normal procedure for people with sentences shorter than three years to be released from custody before their prison terms.
He said Wednesday that police will try to track them down and arrest them. The sign was stolen in December.