topics
tools
Expatica countries
Index Last Var.(%)
BEL 20 2119.44 0.28
DAX 6339.94 0.38
IBEX 30 6543 0.13
CAC 40 3047.94 0.32
FTSE 100 5351.53 0.03
AEX 292.76 0.23
DJIA 12454.83 -0.60
Nasdaq 2837.53 -0.07
FTSE MIB 13154.8 0.36
TSX Composite 11576.47 0.09
ASX 4081.2 -0.61
Hang seng 18713.41 0.25
Straits Times 2772.75 -0.24
ISEQ 20 500.94 1.55
You are here: Home News European News French court rules out reparations for Jewish deportees

European News

archive
Enlarge font Decrease font Text size


17/02/2009French court rules out reparations for Jewish deportees

While the court admitted responsibility for the deportation of Jews during the Second World War, they also said the state had already allowed as much compensation as possible.

Paris -- France's top administrative court on Monday dashed the hopes of French Jews seeking damages for deportation during World War II when it ruled that the state had done enough to address their claims.

The State Council rendered a decision in the case of 75-year-old Madeleine Hoffman-Glemane, who was seeking 200,000 euros (256,000 dollars) in damages to compensate her father and 80,000 in reparations for her own suffering.

Arrested in Paris in May 1941, Hoffman-Glemane's father was deported to the Nazi concentration camp in Poland's Auschwitz through the Drancy transit camp, run by the collaborationist Vichy regime in France.

The court said France was "responsible for damages caused by actions which did not result from the occupiers' direct orders, but facilitated deportation from France of people who were victims of anti-Semitic persecution."

But it added the state had, since the Second World War, taken a "gradual approach" that had already "allowed as much compensation as possible."

Some 75,000 Jews were deported during the Nazi occupation of France between 1939 and 1944, most of whom died in extermination camps in Germany. Only 2,500 returned to France after the war.

It was the first time that a French court recognized that the state had some share of responsibility for the deportations of Jews, after former president Jacques Chirac did so as a political gesture in 1995.

Representing Hoffman-Glemane, lawyer Anne-Laure Archambault said she was disappointed by the ruling and would seek a ruling from the Strasbourg-based European Court of Human Rights.

The State Council was asked by a lower court to rule in the case of the French Jewish deportee in April last year and to specifically address whether the statute of limitations on lawsuits against the state had run out.

During a hearing on Friday, government lawyer Frederic Lenica argued that the deportees' claims had all been addressed and that "it was time to end individual actions" to seek compensation.

Some 400 deportees or their descendants have launched lawsuits seeking damages from the state.

"France has taken 42 separate legal measures over the past 60 years to address all of the prejudices," said Lenica. "It seems to us that this compensation is as complete as possible."

"It's false to say that the system put in place compensates for all claims," said lawyer Avi Bitton, representing 600 deportees and plaintiffs. "We are simply asking to be treated like any other citizen who is a victim of asbestos poisoning or a road accident. When you suffer damage, you should be able to seek recourse.”

The State Council ruled that the compensation paid out to French Jews was in line with European rights conventions and was comparable to those offered by other European governments.

AFP/Expatica


0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment

General rating: Not rated yet

Rate article:    Add my rating



0 reactions to this article

Be the first person to add a comment
Discussion Forums

Legal Problems in Germany

Visa employment help

Australians in Germany

BUY FAKE PASSPORT, DRIVING LICENSE,ID CARD

Irish in Germany

BUY FAKE PASSPORT, DRIVING LICENSE,ID CARD

Canadian in Germany

BUY FAKE PASSPORT, DRIVING LICENSE,ID CARD

Discuss German Culture

BUY FAKE PASSPORT, DRIVING LICENSE,ID CARD

participate in the forums

Inside Expatica
The ABCs of the German school system

The ABCs of the German school system

What you need to know about German schools and daycare.

German immigration and residency regulations

German immigration and residency regulations

Want to move to Germany but haven’t figured out the details? Check out Expatica’s overview of the German permit system.

Driving in Berlin: Rules, habits and fines

Driving in Berlin: Rules, habits and fines

In part one of our two part series, we cover the driving culture in Berlin, where to park and buy gas and, most importantly, the laws.

Looking for work in Germany: The in depth version

Looking for work in Germany: The in depth version

Our comprehensive guide includes information on how to find work, recruitment agencies, employment contracts and labour law.