WPC5 -Iܑff\w}OgOgN3< - KzGm+KfmE;24 y?(Dh$|zX ξO{|#W)IA:1N]p>yZ?!rpC*E! Th%o TqdxLJ=qɷ9(S<EPiTfK4Ǿ^Ԣf`Yf[S.?PwZ$a~LLVj#W. fqv }JT#îu-Gjb7ND"e%d1y_@!VC ǿء#]Xϧnvsՠߓ:O&/2(1ίPnud?*&N52{ǪڵqRun@&hHbBMGiȞ͒t/[TZ郶srFA #UN[ % 0:^ w4  mHP LaserJet 6P/6MP - Standard0(hH  Z6Times New Roman RegularX($UKUS.,*, tQ+tƣ3|xU !UKUS.,  _  HUMANRIGHTSCOMMITTEE  _Neremberg_Ԁv.Germany  CommunicationNo991/2001 p 27July2001 P  _CCPR_/C/72/D/991/2001 0  ADMISSIBILITY @   Submittedby:Ms._Hena_Ԁ_Neremberg_Ԁetal.(representedbycounsel,Mr.Edward_Kossoy_)  Allegedvictims:Theauthors  StateParty:Germany p DateofCommunication:30October1999 P   TheHumanRightsCommittee,establishedunderarticle28oftheInternationalCovenanton ` CivilandPoliticalRights, P   Meetingon27July2001, 0   Adoptsthefollowing: ! =  DecisiononAdmissibility $" T1.TheauthorsofthecommunicationareMs._Hena_Ԁ_Neremberg_Ԁandtenotherindividualscurrently p&!$ residinginCanada,France,andIsraelrespectively.Theauthorsclaimtobevictimsofviolationsby `'"% Germanyofarticle14oftheInternationalCovenantonCivilandPoliticalRights.Theauthorsare P(#& representedbycounsel.TheOptionalProtocolenteredintoforceforGermanyon25November @)$' 1993.Germanyenteredreservations_ratione_Ԁ_temporis_andconcerningarticle5,paragraph2(a)of 0*%( theOptionalProtocol.  +p&)  -@),  Thefactsassubmittedonbehalfoftheauthor   2.1Theauthorsareheirsandassignsofthepropertyofatanneryinthecityof_Radom_Ԁ(Poland).  ShortlyaftertheGermanoccupationinWorldWarII,theenterprisehadbeenconfiscatedforbeing  ownedbyethnicJewsand,fromthenon,hadbeencontrolledbytheadministrativeauthorities p establishedinPolandbytheGermanReich.Duringthistime,ondifferentoccasions,highquantities `  ofleatherproducedinthetanneryhadbeendeliveredtoHannover(Germany).Furthermore,other P  propertyoftheauthors'ancestorshadbeenconfiscatedorseized. @  2.2InNovember1958,theauthorsand/orotherrelativesclaimedcompensationfortheleather  p  deliveredtoHannoverandotherconfiscatedorseizedpropertyasprovidedforintherelevant `  provisionsoftheFederalRestitutionAct("_Bundesrckerstattungsgesetz_").From1962on,thecase P  waspendingatthedistrictcourtofBerlin("_Landgericht_").In1971,theauthorsagreedonafriendly @  settlementconcerningonepartoftheclaim.Withregardtoanotherpartoftheclaimthecourt 0  procedurecontinued.   2.3Inseparatepartialdecisions,in1983andin1987,thedistrictcourtHannovergrantedtheauthors  Ѐcompensationforotherconfiscatedpropertyofthetannery,whiletheprocedurecontinued.In1992,  someoftheauthorsassignedtheirclaimstoacommercialtrustcompany,reservingtheirrightto  claimcompensationfordamagecausedbythedelayofproceedings.In1993,afterfurtherevidence  wasestablished,thedistrictcourtawardedtheauthorscompensationforothermateriallosses.The p appealagainstthepartialdecisionsbyGermanyhasbeenrejectedasunsubstantiatedinsecondand ` thirdinstance.Furtherappealsagainstthecostsorderweredismissed.Atthattime,thetotal P compensationgrantedbythecourtamountedtoseveralmillionDM. @ 2.4In1995,theauthorsagreedtoafriendlysettlementonalloutstandingcompensationclaims  p againstpaymentofDM1,000,000. ` 2.5In1996,theauthorsclaimed,beforethedistrictcourtHannover,compensationforthelength @ ofprocedureregardingtheircompensationclaims. 0 2.6ThecourtrejectedtheclaimarguingthattheFederalRestitutionActdoesnotprovidefor ! compensationclaimsotherthanthosementionedinthisact.In1998,theappealoftheauthors "  againstthisdecisionwasrejectedfinallybytheFederalCourt("_Bundesgerichtshof_"). #! 2.7TheauthorsthenturnedtotheEuropeanCommissionofHumanRightswithacomplaintagainst % # thedelayintheprocedures.In1998,theEuropeanCommissionofHumanRightsdeclaredthe p&!$ applicationoftheauthorsinadmissibleforlackofexhaustionofremediesavailableunderGerman `'"% law,i.e.theauthorsneitherinstitutedofficialliabilityproceedings("_Amtshaftungsklage_")norlodged P(#& aconstitutionalcomplaint("_Verfassungsbeschwerde_")withtheFederalConstitutionalCourt @)$' ("_Bundesverfassungsgericht_"). 0*%(  Decisiononinadmissibility  ,`'* 3.1Beforeconsideringanyclaimscontainedinacommunication,theHumanRightsCommittee -@), must,inaccordancewithrule87ofitsrulesofprocedure,decidewhethertheornotitisadmissible  undertheOptionalProtocoltotheCovenant.  3.2TheCommitteeobservesthat,whenratifyingtheOptionalProtocolandrecognizingthe  competenceoftheCommitteetoreceiveandconsidercommunicationsfromindividualssubjectto p itsjurisdiction,theStatepartymadethefollowingreservation,withreferencetoarticle5,paragraph `  2(a)oftheOptionalProtocol: P    "thecompetenceoftheCommitteeshallnotapplytocommunications 0  0  8` (#(#a)whichhavealreadybeenconsideredunderanotherprocedureof `  internationalinvestigationorsettlement"P ` `  Moreover,theStatepartymadeareservation_ratione_Ԁ_temporis_excludingtheCommittee's 0  competenceinanycase:   8  "havingitsoriginineventsoccurringpriortotheentryintoforceoftheOptional  ProtocolfortheFederalRepublicofGermany".   3.3TheCommitteenotesthattheauthor'sclaimofunduedelayinviolationofarticle14,paragraph  1oftheCovenantismainlyrelatedtoproceedingsthatwerependingpriorto25November1993, p theentryintoforceoftheOptionalProtocolfortheStateparty,andthatnopartoftheclaimrelates ` toeventsthatoccurredafter1995. P 3.4Moreover,theCommitteenotesthattheauthorshavenotavailedthemselvesofexistingredress 0 possibilities,includingofficialliabilityproceedings("_Amtshaftungsklage_")orconstitutional  p complaint("_Verfassungsbeschwerde_").Consequently,theircomplaintwasdeclaredinadmissibleby ` theEuropeanCommissionofHumanRightsduetothenon-exhaustionofdomesticremedies,an P admissibilityrequirementthatappearsalsoinarticle5,paragraph2(b)oftheOptionalProtocol. @ 4.TheCommittee,therefore,decides:   0  (a)thatthecommunicationisinadmissibleunderarticles1,2,3,5,paragraph2(a)and(b) "  oftheOptionalProtocol;#!(#(# 0  (b)thatthisdecisionshallbecommunicatedtotheauthorand,forinformation,totheState % # party.p&!$(#(# _____________ P(#& *ThefollowingmembersoftheCommitteeparticipatedintheexaminationofthepresent 0*%( communication:Mr._Abdelfattah_ԀAmor,_Prafullachandra_Ԁ_Natwarlal_Ԁ_Bhagwati_,Ms.Christine_Chanet_,  +p&) Mr.Maurice_Gll_Ԁ_Ahanhanzo_,Mr.Rafael_Rivas_Ԁ_Posada_,SirNigel_Rodley_,Mr.Martin_Scheinin_, ,`'* Mr.IvanShearer,Mr._Hip;lito_Ԁ_Solari_Ԁ_Yrigoyen_,Mr.Ahmed_Tawfik_Ԁ_Khalil_,Mr.PatrickVellaand -P(+ Mr.Maxwell_Yalden_. -@), Ї  Underrule85oftheCommittee'srulesofprocedure,Mr._Eckart_ԀKleindidnotparticipatein  theexaminationofthecase.  [AdoptedinEnglish,FrenchandSpanish,theEnglishtextbeingtheoriginalversion.Subsequently  tobeissuedalsoinArabic,ChineseandRussianaspartoftheCommittee'sannualreporttothe p GeneralAssembly.] `