The Belgian Senate approved last night the new law which extends for ten years the statute of limitations on death sentences imposed for actions against state security between May 1940 and May 1945. The target of the law is wartime crimes committed during the Nazi occupation of Belgium.
Meanwhile, it was reported here today that the Jewish community of Belgium is not satisfied with the Government’s coolness to include Jews forced to wear the Yellow Star during the Nazi occupation among recipients of compensation which West Germany is willing to pay to Belgium. The issue arose through a question in Parliament by Senator Henri Rolin, a Socialist, who wanted to know whether those Jews who were not deported during the German occupation but were forced to wear the Yellow Star would get part of the 80,000,000 Deutschmarks ($20,000,000) which Bonn has agreed to pay to Belgium.
An answer received from the Ministry of Public Health and Family stated that distribution of the money is still being studied, but that the category of Nazi victims mentioned by Sen. Rolin had not been discussed with the West German Government. Paul Philippson, president of the Belgian Jewish Consistory, contacted today various Belgian officials on this issue. The Jewish community has pointed out that The Netherlands had recognized the Yellow Star wearers as fit recipients of German compensation, and the Belgian Government is competent to make a similar decision.
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