war era. While the case of Nuesslein is clear-cut, historians generally warn that mere membership of the Nazi party is not enough to establish guilt. The obituary row comes as Fischer faces strong pressure over an illegal visa scandal which has already led to the resignation of one of his deputy ministers. Under orders from Fischer, the issuance of visas for visitors to Germany from eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia was radically liberalised from 2000 until 2003 when the policy was abruptly halted after massive abuses. Hundreds of thousands of illegal workers including prostitutes from countries like the Ukraine came to Germany under the visa programme, reports say. A parliamentary probe is ongoing and Fischer is due to testify later this month. --SP 0021 Local Time 2121 GMT
