The association of "Algerians formerly sentenced to death by France" wants to formally lodge a complaint with the International Criminal Tribunal (ICT) for reparations, Algerian News Agency reported on Tuesday.

"The association launched an appeal to lawyers to help in compiling a file for the 360 Algerians sentenced to death and executed by French colonial authorities" during the Algerian war ( 1954-1962), Mustapha Boudina, president of the association told the news agency.

The undertaking was "legitimate from the moment that France had recently acknowledged that what took place in Algeria was not a set of events but a war," he emphasized.

The war of Algeria had been characterized as a police operation by French authorities for decades and it was finally recognized by the French parliament about 15 years ago.

"It is the duty of Algerians to demand reparation from France for executing 202 Algerians by beheading and a further 158 by shooting in a travesty of justice," in violation of the Geneva Convention on war prisoners, added Boudina.

According to the association, 1,800 Algerian victims were sentenced to death during the Algerian war, 360 of them being executed, "not counting victims of summary and extrajudicial killings."

Algerian association to lodge complaint against France on colonial killing