Maurice Papon
Outside La Sante Prison in Paris on Wednesday, September 18th, 2002 sixty years after the round up of Jews for deportation to forced labor camps by French Nazi Collaborators and after a 20 year search for justice Maurice Papon walked free. ... Papon’s lawyers had used this new legal loophole in the never-ending French appeals process and after three attempts the court ruled Papon is too old and sick to serve the 10-year sentence before him. ... com) The Sedan sped off to deliver Papon to his tranquil countryside manor outside Paris in Gretz-Armainvilliers. ... When the Nazi’s invaded in 1940, Maurice Papon led the Bordeaux area police, two years later he became General Secretary of the Gironde region with special responsibility for Jewish affairs. ... Some say Papon even helped load the victims onto the train. ... Maurice Papon’s condemned Jews would arrive after 1942 where only 10% of arriving prisoners would receive this treatment. ... html) After World War II ended Maurice Papon was decorated a war Hero by Charles de Gualle for assistance to the French resistance. ... Finally nearly 41 years after Maurice Papon’s wartime atrocities his role in the Jewish roundup was revealed in 1981. ... In 1999 Papon fled to France to avoid incarceration. ... After barely serving a third of his ten-year sentence an appeals Court releases Papon based on a decision that his health was “incompatible with his remaining in detention”. ... com/interactive/profiles/papon/papon. ... Klarsfeld also credited for bringing Maurice Papon to Justice had this to say about the September 18th verdict “We had fought so that he would stay in prison. ... html) Juliette Benzazon, who lost 14 members of her family in deportations ordered by Papon, has argued: “One says in vain to us that that occurred 50 years ago, that it is old…my father was never old and my cousins were children. ... asp) Protester Colette Guttman said, “I can’t believe this is happening, my Father, my Mother, and my Uncle were killed at Auschwitz because of people like Papon. ... com/2002/WORLD/europe/09/19/papon. ... Mouloud Aounit head of the MRAP anti-racist group says, “they should have freed all ailing prisoners and those over 90 and Maurice Papon should have been the last to leave and turn out the lights”.