Overview

• Prosecutors on June 19 urged four-year prison terms—including two years behind bars—for Anavim’s director, three-year sentences for two associates, and the dissolution of Anavim with a €200,000 fine for a partner cooperative
• Defendants face charges of human trafficking, forced labor and unauthorized employment after housing about 57 migrant workers in unsafe, unsanitary buildings that violated their security, health and dignity
• Investigators found harvesters from Mali, Mauritania, Ivory Coast and Senegal living in dilapidated Nesle-le-Repons accommodation without hot water, with exposed wiring and inadequate sanitation
• Workers endured 11-hour days, received no pay despite €80-a-day promises and faced knife threats when seeking breaks or basic needs
• The Champagne Committee’s involvement as a civil party marks the first time the industry has joined a case over seasonal workers’ living conditions