Former Greek king wins court battle

King Constantine was ousted in 1967

LONDON, England -- The exiled ex-King Constantine of Greece has won a court victory over property seized after he was deposed -- but must wait to hear the fate of his billion dollar compensation claim.

The former king said he was "extremely grateful" after the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg agreed that his human rights had been violated.

But the court reserved judgment on the ex-king's claim for $1.4 billion (£1 billion) compensation for loss of property.

Constantine was ousted in a military coup on April 21, 1967, and fled Greece after an unsuccessful counter-coup. The monarchy was abolished by a referendum in December 1974.

At his London home, Constantine, 60, was considering his detailed response to the judges' ruling, which came at the end of a six year legal battle.

It is expected that the former king, who is related to the British Royal Family, will seek to agree compensation with the Greek government.

The European Court said any "subsequent procedure" on assessing possible compensation would be fixed "having regard to any agreement which might be reached."

The court asked the two sides in the compensation case to report back to Strasbourg within six months.

The panel of judges ruled that the estates of Tatoi, near Athens, Polydendri, at the foot of Mount Olympus, and Mon Repos, on the Greek island of Corfu, were owned privately by Constantine and his family rather than in their capacity as members of the Greek royal dynasty.

According to the ruling: "The court was of the opinion that the lack of any compensation for the deprivation of the applicants' property upset, to the detriment of the applicants, the fair balance between the protection of property and the requirements of public interest."

Constantine, his sister Princess Irene, who now lives in Madrid, Spain, and his aunt Princess Ekaterini, who lives in Buckinghamshire, England, had been deprived of "their right to the peaceful enjoyment of their possessions and their right not to be subjected to discrimination in this respect."

Greece said Constantine would be liable for taxes on the seized property if the Strasbourg court grants compensation.

Deputy Foreign Minister Elisavet Papazoi told Greek radio Athens had filed with the court two reports from independent property and accounting houses giving a value for the property confiscated from the former royal family and the taxes due.

"It turns out they owe us about 20 billion drachmas ($49.6 million)... because transfer taxes were never paid," she said.

Papazoi said that if the Strasbourg court ruled compensation was due because Constantine and the two others had been deprived of the right to enjoy property as private citizens, they were liable, like all Greek citizens, to pay taxes.

She said the three properties at stake had been valued at about 187 billion drachmas ($464 million), with taxes owed at 195 billion drachmas ($483 million).

Reuters contributed to this report.

Greek Public Estates
European Court of Human Rights
The Greek Royal Family
King Constantine

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