Germany on Monday told the UN's highest court that Italian courts have no authority to order the country to pay compensation to victims of Nazi war crimes.

"We are here to obtain a ruling by the court on legal issues of great significance, not only to both parties... but also international law," said Susanne Wasum-Rainer, Germany's representative before the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

Germany filed the case against Italy in December 2008 after a court in Italy ordered Berlin to compensate an Italian civilian sent to a German labor camp in 1944. Germany claims the ruling "failed to respect the jurisdictional immunity" that present-day Germany has a right to under international law.

Luigi Ferrini, the Italian forced into labor by the Nazis, won a case in the Italian Supreme Court in 2004 that found him entitled to reparations from Germany. Since then, hundreds of cases have been argued in Italian courts by relatives and widows of victims of Nazi war crimes.

Unhealed wounds

Hundreds of relatives of World War II victims have claimed compensation from Germany

Nazi Germany committed war crimes in Italy after Rome switched sides to join the Allies in September 1943. Italy argued at the UN court that the atrocities violated humanitarian law, and therefore override other international laws and agreements.

Under various agreements, Germany has paid tens of millions of dollars in reparations for crimes committed during World War II.

Also arguing against Germany is Greece, representing relatives of the victims of a 1944 German massacre at Distomo, in Greece.

"We are here because we want to find our right to justice," a representative of Distomo victims told the AFP news agency outside the court. "We hope for a positive outcome for Italy. Germany must respect the decisions taken in Italian courts."

Germany and Italy argue their cases before the court this week, but the court may take months to deliver its verdict.

Author: Andrew Bowen (AFP, AP)

Editor: Martin Kuebler