Italy’s highest court has ruled that foreign victims of Nazi-era crimes can seek compensation from German assets located in Italy, including those belonging to Deutsche Bahn.
The ruling came in response to a suit filed by victims of a massacre in Greece, where, on 10 June 1944, 218 residents of the village of Distomo, about 100 kilometres northwest of Athens, were killed by a Waffen-SS unit.
A Greek court had granted compensation to survivors in 1997, but the decision remained unenforced. This prompted the victims to pursue their claims in Italy, targeting German-owned assets such as those held by Deutsche Bahn.
The claimants argue that compensation can be drawn from publicly-owned assets, a position disputed by Deutsche Bahn, which denies responsibility.
In 2022, Italy enacted a law preventing the seizure of German assets by establishing a state compensation fund for victims who are Italian nationals residing in Italy. Foreign victims living abroad were excluded from this scheme, allowing the Greek claimants to continue pursuing compensation directly against German holdings within Italian territory.
In statements to Greek media, Distomo Mayor Giannis Stathas, called the ruling “decisive for the families’ struggle.”
However, Greek lawyers cautioned that implementation could face hurdles, including potential German appeals to the International Court of Justice in The Hague or new legislation from the Italian government to block enforcement.
