Heirs of Iraqi Jews demand €21.5 million from France
The heirs of brothers Ezra and Khaduri Lawee, Iraqi Jews who left the country in the 1940s, have filed a lawsuit against the French state for €21.5 million.
This was reported by Aawsat.
They are seeking compensation for more than 50 years of unpaid rent for the building that currently houses the French Embassy in Baghdad, as well as payments for moral damages.
In 1964, the French Embassy signed a lease agreement with the Lawee brothers. Later, the Iraqi authorities confiscated the property belonging to them, after which France concluded an agreement with Baghdad to lease the building.
Lawyers for the heirs claim that the French state continues to use property that does not belong to it.
The lawsuit was initially filed with the Administrative Court of Paris in May 2024. In February 2025, the heirs' side demanded that the consideration of the case be expedited.
