Nazi collaborator wins appeal
France’s highest appeals court today turned down a request by the Justice Ministry to send Nazi collaborator Maurice Papon back to prison to finish his 10 year sentence.
Papon, 92, was convicted in 1998 of complicity in crimes against humanity for playing a role in the deportation of Jews from south-west France during the Second World War.
He began serving his sentence in 1999.
He was released in September under a new French law allowing early release for sick and elderly prisoners.
At the time, Papon had served just three years of the 10 year sentence.
His release sparked a national outcry, and the Justice Ministry launched proceedings to have Papon returned to prison.
Papon was convicted for playing a role in deporting 1,690 Jews in the Bordeaux area to Nazi death camps.
Papon was the number two official in Bordeaux during the German occupation of France.
Papon had fled to Switzerland after his conviction, but he was arrested and began serving his sentence in October 1999.
During the war, 76,000 Jews, including 12,000 children, were deported from France, many to Auschwitz only 2,500 survived.
