Greek Nazi reparations sale halted

The court decision halts the auction of the Goethe Institut in Athens

ATHENS, Greece -- Germany has won an appeal against a plan in Greece to sell off German assets to compensate victims of the Nazi era.

A lawyer for relatives of Greeks executed during the Nazi occupation had intended to auction German assets to pay the reparations.

But the Greek court ruled the country's justice minister, Michalis Stathopoulos, must approve the seizure and sale of any foreign state properties, and he has previously . Minister said he would not give such approval.

The decision stops the sale of Germany's cultural centre, the Goethe Institut, which had been due to take place on September 19.

Ioannis Stamoulis, the lawyer representing relatives of 214 executed civilians, has said he will appeal against the decision to the Greek supreme court, a process which could take months.

Stamoulis had planned to auction the cultural centre as part of a 9.4 billion drachmas ($24.5 million) damages award granted in 1999 to relatives of civilians executed in June 1944 in Distomo, about 100 kilometres (60 miles) northwest of Athens, as a reprisal for resistance activities.

Stamoulis had also planned to auction the German Archaeological School at a later date.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Panos Beglitis told The Associated Press news agency that the decision "provides the framework to stop the seizures."

A special high court is also expected to decide later this year if relatives of Greek civilians executed during World War II can sue a foreign government for compensation.

Germany insists the claims against it are covered by the 115 million marks ($56 million) it paid to Greece in the 1960s to compensate victims of the Nazi occupation, and says that seizing its property in Greece is illegal. It has said the auction could harm relations between Germany and Greece.