In a unanimous decision issued this morning (6.5.2025), the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) fully vindicated the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki (IKTH), after a long dispute with the Greek State, over the ownership of a building block in the center of Thessaloniki. Although it was part of a much larger area that had been expropriated in favor of the Jewish Community in 1920, for the housing of fire victims, the Greek State claimed half of the disputed property (four acres in total), arguing that, as it had previously belonged to an Italian citizen, it had come into its possession as an enemy, after the declaration of war, on 28.10.1940.
Although the Supreme Court had initially ruled in favor of the Community, quite unexpectedly, in a later decision, it ruled that the Community should have brought a claim against the Greek State, based on the 1950 law on enemy property. This was despite the fact that since 1934, after the payment of the compensation due, the disputed property had been transferred to it.
In addition to convicting Greece of a violation of Article 1 of Additional Protocol A to the ECHR (violation of property rights) and officially recognizing the applicant's rights to the aforementioned building block, the ECtHR awarded the IKTH the amount of €5.000 for non-pecuniary damage and the amount of €40.000 for legal costs.
The case was handled in Strasbourg by the office of Professor N.K. Alivizatos.
For the Jewish Community of Thessaloniki
Ο Πρόεδρος
David Saltiel
SOURCE: P.T. I.K. Thessaloniki, 6.5.2025