In a landmark verdict, Maurice Papon, a former Vichy government official, was sentenced to ten years in prison for crimes against humanity committed during World War II. Papon, who served as the secretary-general of the Gironde prefecture, was found guilty of ordering the deportation of 1,560 Jews to concentration camps, where most of them perished. The trial marked a significant milestone in France's confrontation with its wartime collaborationist past, ending decades of impunity for Vichy officials.