Today is Wednesday, May 11th, 2022. On this day in 1987, former SS officer Klaus

Barbie was put on trial after nearly 40 years on the run. Welcome to Today in True Crime, a Spotify original from Parcast.

Due to the graphic nature of this crime, listener discretion is advised.

This episode includes descriptions of torture and murder, as well as references to sexual assault.

We advise extreme caution for children under 13. I'm Vanessa Richardson, and today I'm joined

by our guest host, Kate Leonard, from Dictators. Every week, her show delves into the minds and

motives of history's most controversial world leaders. Kate is here to discuss the

aftermath of today's story, while I'll cover the narrative. Thanks, Vanessa. Happy to be here.

Now let's go back to Lyon, France on May 11, 1987. The tension in the courtroom was palpable, as the 73-year-old Nazi entered the chambers.

He'd been imprisoned for four years, but the French government was finally ready to put him on trial for crimes against humanity.

The proceedings began with the judge reading out the accusations. Klaus Barbie was

accused of countless crimes, rape, torture, murder, deportation of Jewish people to concentration

camps, and brutality of all sorts. In all, Barbie was charged with 177 crimes against humanity.

His crimes were so extensive that simply reading them took up the entire first day of the trial.

Barbie's lawyer was a man named Jacques Verges.

He was a firebrand and anti-colonialist with a national profile.

Verges had made his career defending individuals accused

of various forms of terrorism, from neo-Nazis to the radical communists. As long as the trial was

political, he was interested. And before the trial even began, the prosecution was already divided.

Half of them wanted to see Barbie punished for his crimes against the French resistance.

The others thought his barbarism toward Jews was far worse.

Nonetheless, both camps were unified in their desire to bring him to justice.

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