West Germany and Italy today formally exchanged ratification instruments to an agreement between the two countries, providing for payment by the Bonn Government to Italy of $10,000,000 for the indemnification of Jews and other victims of Nazi deportations during the Second World War.
An important provision of the agreement is a clause enabling Italian victims of Nazi persecution to apply to the Bonn Government for compensation. In the past, such claims had been rejected by West Germany on the basis of a provision in the peace treaty between Italy and the Allies, according to which Italy waived any Governmental or private claims for war damages against Germany.
The new agreement established the principle that the waiver contained in the peace treaty will not be valid for any damage arising from racial or political persecution. Consequently, claims by Italian citizens in accordance with German indemnification laws, which had been refused by the Bonn Government on the basis of the peace treaty waiver, will now be reexamined by the West German authorities. Italian citizens entitled to compensation, who have not filed such claims, may do so within the next 12 months.
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