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IBM sued over its alleged part in Nazi atrocities


Romany groups yesterday announced that they will file civil lawsuits against IBM in the Swiss courts over its alleged involvement in the Holocaust. They claim that IBM’s Hollerith tabulating machinery helped the Nazi regime identify Romany populations, contributing to an estimated 600,000 to 1.5 million deaths of Romany gypsies before and during World War 2.

Lawyers representing the groups say that the lawsuits will demand $10,000 compensation for each person orphaned. This would mean a potential pay out of $12 billion, with an estimated 1.2 million people falling into this category. Under Swiss law, all claims must be filed individually. Lawyers say the first 1,000 cases will be filed in September.

The actions are being raised in Switzerland as Geneva was the then headquarters of the German and Swiss subsidiaries of IBM. IBM has told Reuters that it cannot comment without seeing the lawsuits.

In February this year, IBM responded to a book by Erwin Black which outlined its alleged involvement in the Holocaust, saying that its German subsidiary at that time, Dehomag, had fallen under the control of the Nazi Party.

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