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Papon denied medical pardon
Mr Papon has a history of ill health
The French president, Jacques Chirac, has turned down a request to release the convicted war criminal, Maurice Papon, on grounds of ill health.
Mr Papon, who is 89 years old, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in April 1998 for his role in deporting more than 1,500 French Jews to Nazi death camps during the Second World War.
Mr Papon's trial was interrupted several times because of poor health and he underwent surgery in January to have a pacemaker fitted.
Appeal planned
A statement from the president's office said Mr Papon's lawyer, Jean-Marc Varaut, had sought a medical pardon but "the head of state rejected this request".
Mr Varaut said he would appeal against Mr Chirac's decision at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
"I'm not going to stop here," said Mr Varaut, arguing that a medical report had concluded that Mr Papon's life "was endangered by further time in jail."
Painful history
Mr Papon began his sentence in October 1999 after briefly fleeing to Switzerland.
His six-month trial forced France to acknowledge how French officials collaborated with the Nazi occupiers during the war.
The pro-Nazi Vichy regime drafted measures that ultimately saw 75,000 Jews deported to death camps.
Only in 1996 did a French leader, Mr Chirac, condemn the Vichy regime for the persecution of Jews.
Mr Papon is the highest-ranking official from that time to be convicted of crimes against humanity.
He was a budget minister under conservative President Valery Giscard d'Estaing.
Mr Papon, who is 89 years old, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in April 1998 for his role in deporting more than 1,500 French Jews to Nazi death camps during the Second World War.
Mr Papon's trial was interrupted several times because of poor health and he underwent surgery in January to have a pacemaker fitted.
Appeal planned
A statement from the president's office said Mr Papon's lawyer, Jean-Marc Varaut, had sought a medical pardon but "the head of state rejected this request".
Mr Varaut said he would appeal against Mr Chirac's decision at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg.
 Papon: Convicted of ordering the deportation of Jews |
Painful history
Mr Papon began his sentence in October 1999 after briefly fleeing to Switzerland.
His six-month trial forced France to acknowledge how French officials collaborated with the Nazi occupiers during the war.
The pro-Nazi Vichy regime drafted measures that ultimately saw 75,000 Jews deported to death camps.
Only in 1996 did a French leader, Mr Chirac, condemn the Vichy regime for the persecution of Jews.
Mr Papon is the highest-ranking official from that time to be convicted of crimes against humanity.
He was a budget minister under conservative President Valery Giscard d'Estaing.
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