Prefecture of Voiotia v. Germany fr

Country of proceedings: Greece
Context of crimes: World War II (Greece)
Date: 2000
Keywords: War crimes (murder, illegal detention, wantom destruction), immunity (sovereign)

Court documents (in Greek)
04-05-2000 - Aerios Pagos: Case No.: 11/2000

Presentation of the case
The plaintiffs, Greek Nationals, sued Germany for murders, illegal detention, wanton destruction and other crimes, committed by German soldiers when they occupied the village of Distomo, in 1944. The Court ruled in favour of the plaintiffs and awarded 20 million euros in damages.

The Areios Pagos (Supreme Court of Greece) ruled that the acts of the German occupying force were "in breach of rules of peremptory international law (Article 46 of the Hague IV Convention), and not acts iure imperii." The Court argued that the violation of ius cogens norms amounts to tacit waiver of immunity and therefore, jurisdiction had properly been procured.

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