Overview

• Albert Corrieri, now 102, was forcibly sent to Germany in 1943 under the Vichy regime's Service du Travail Obligatoire (STO) to work in a labor camp in Ludwigshafen.
• Corrieri is suing the French state for €43,200, representing unpaid wages for the two years he spent performing forced labor during World War II.
• His lawyer argues that the forced labor constitutes a crime against humanity, which is imprescriptible under international law, despite the French state’s position that such claims are subject to legal time limits.
• The French legal framework does not classify STO victims as ‘deportees,’ instead recognizing them as 'civilian war victims' eligible for pensions and limited compensation.
• A decision on Corrieri’s case is expected on March 18, with his lawsuit highlighting the broader struggle for recognition and justice for the estimated 600,000-700,000 French citizens subjected to STO.