Revolutionary judgement on war crimes

A court in Italy has ruled that in future individual victims will be able to sue states for their crimes, a move which could have far-reaching consequences for many European states, Stefan Ulrich writes: "Judges do not normally initiate revolutions. But they have here. ... If the judgement in Italy is followed up on, millions of damage claims could be filed against Germany from countries ravaged by the Nazis. ... Innumerable people who suffered under the boots of Il Duce would have to be compensated, for example in Albania and Greece. ... The Algerians could settle old accounts with France. Survivors of the Dresden bombing could feel encouraged to take action against the UK. In the Balkans, Justice would have her hands full for years turning the crimes against the Balkan people committed by Serbia and Croatia into cash. ... But some states could collapse under the weight of past debts if they met all the demands made on them. Serbia, for example, would have no future. ... Berlin does well to cite the principle of immunity and challenge the judgement before the International Court of Justice. But at the same time it should send a conciliatory signal to Italy."

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