Yesterday, 13 January 2011, Greece submitted to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) an application to intervene in the case between Germany and Italy that is pending before the Court, which will determine whether Italy (the Italian courts) violated its obligation under international law to recognize the jurisdictional immunity enjoyed by the German State in trials concerning the enforcement of decisions awarding compensation to victims of crimes perpetrated by the III° Reich.
By this application, Greece requests that the Court allow it to participate in the procedure with the aim of setting out to the Court its positions on the matter of the jurisdictional immunity of States according to international law, with the aim of vindicating the victims of the Distomo case.
Professor Stelios Perrakis has been appointed the Greek government’s attorney-at-law in this case, and the ICJ Registrar has already been notified of his appointment.
Greece’s application will be examined by the Court in the coming time. If the Court finds in favour of the application, our country will be able to present its substantial arguments on this pending case.
January 14, 2011