Call to halt Papon trial

Call to halt

Papon trial

The chief lawyer of the accused French Nazi collaborator Maurice Papon said the trial of his elderly client for crimes against humanity should be called off if he continued to suffer health problems.

"If there are more interruptions, the trial should be stopped," Jean- Marc Varaut told the newspaper Sud-Ouest in comments published yesterday.

After a string of delays over Papon's frail health, the trial was suspended on Monday for 10 days after he was taken to hospital with double pneumonia.

Francis Vuillemin, another Papon lawyer, said his client's condition was unchanged since he entered hospital.

Reuters - Bordeaux