PARIS, Feb. 19 (UPI) -- The body of Maurice Papon is to be buried wearing the French Legion of Honor medal despite Papon's conviction for helping arrest Jews during World War II.
Papon died Saturday at the age of 96. He was awarded the Legion of Honor in 1961, some 20 years before details of his abetting the Nazis was known and seven years after he served a prison term for those actions.
His relatives told the Belfast Telegraph they plan to bury Papon with his medal, given by President Charles DeGaulle for service to the state. The Legion of Honor is the highest award given by France.
Evidence of Papon's activities during the World War II didn't emerge until 1981 when his role of rounding up Jews in the Bordeaux area was revealed.
After a six-month trial in 1997, Papon was convicted of organizing the arrest of 1,690 Jews, including 223 children. Papon told the court that he had no choice but to obey Vichy and Nazi orders and did not know the fate of the Jews that he arrested.
He was sentenced to 10 years in prison but only served three because of his age and health.
Six years ago he sent a letter to the Justice Ministry stating that he had "neither regrets nor remorse for a crime I did not commit and for which I am in no way an accomplice."
