German court: 'Bookkeeper of Auschwitz', 96, fit to serve jail term
Oskar Groening was found guilty in July 2015 of being an accessory to the murders of 300,000 people at the Nazi death camp, but he filed an appeal for the sentence to be suspended.
"Based on expert opinion, the superior regional court finds that the convicted individual is fit to serve out the term despite his advanced age," said the court in Celle in northern Germany.
Incarcerating Groening would not violate his fundamental rights, it said, arguing that "appropriate precautionary measures" could be taken to meet any special needs arising from his old age.
Groening has been living at home despite his conviction, and given his age, it has until now been unclear if he would actually be jailed.
Making the case for his imprisonment, German prosecutors have said that a court doctor has determined that Groening is able to serve his sentence, on condition he is given appropriate nursing and medical care while in detention.
