Germany to Rehabilitate Deserters From WWII
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BONN — German soldiers who deserted during World War II will be rehabilitated and given compensation, a senior politician announced Thursday.
Hitler condemned all deserters, and about 20,000 were executed; 10,000 others ended up in penal battalions used for missions such as clearing minefields. Some are still alive.
Parliament has repeatedly rejected bills to rehabilitate deserters, but a recent court ruling forced the agreement, said Norbert Geis of the Christian Democratic Union.
Geis said the amount of compensation for relatives of executed deserters and survivors has not yet been set.
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