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Liechtenstein takes Germany to UN Court | ||
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Vaduz/The Hague, 11 June 2004. Now the waiting is over for the Federal Republic of Germany and the Principality of Liechtenstein: On Monday, 14 June, a week of oral hearings will commence before the International Court of Justice in The Hague in a case which Liechtenstein has brought against Germany. Liechtenstein calls for legal clarification under international law concerning its relationship to Germany, and, like every other country, claims its right to non-violation of its state sovereignty and respect for its neutrality. Up to now, the Federal Republic of Germany has tried to avoid commenting on the case. However, once the oral hearing begins, the Federal Government will have to find answers to the explosive question: How far is Germany entitled to treat Liechtenstein-owned property in the former Czechoslovakia as German external assets and to use them to settle its reparation debts from World War II? This is a clear violation of international law, so they say in Liechtenstein and is the immediate cause of the injustice which the small state has suffered - even though the property in question is mainly in the Czech Republic. The Principality of Liechtenstein is represented by the Special Commissioner and Agent for the case, the Düsseldorf attorney-at-law Dr Alexander Goepfert, a partner of the international law-firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. He is confident in the strength of the case. "The essential point at issue here is not one of financial redress. It's the sovereignty of a state that is at stake. One really fails to see any logical reason why Germany is violating Liechtenstein's statehood in such a flagrant manner. After all, Liechtenstein has been a sovereign state since 1806 and was neutral both in World War I and World War II."
Note for journalists and editors: If you have any questions or require further information, please contact:
The Special Commissioner and
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