102-Year-Old Former Forced Laborer Seeks Reparations from French Government

Albert Corrieri, sent to Germany under Vichy’s Service du Travail Obligatoire during WWII, demands recognition and compensation for two years of unpaid labor.

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.