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Romania compensates communism's victims: PM

15.11.2007

BUCHAREST, Nov 20, 2007 (AFP) - The Romanian government on Tuesday gave out tens of thousands of euros (dollars) to 20 people whose property was seized by the former communist regime, the first to benefit from this measure.
"This is an act of reparation towards those who have suffered, not only under the communist regime but also after" its fall, Romanian Prime Minister Calin Tariceanu said, adding that the "road has been long and hard."
The first beneficiaries will receive between 30,000 and 75,000 euros (44,000-111,000 dollars). They come from among the 1,748 former property owners whose belongings could no longer be restored in kind to them and who have asked that reparations be given in cash, he said.
The majority of the people whose property was seized will receive shares of the Proprietatea Fund, which was created specifically for this aim.
"The fund will become functional starting in June or July," Economic Minister Varujan Vosganian said.
According to a law adopted in 2005, property owners whose belongings were confiscated between March 6, 1945, the beginning of the communist regime, and December 22, 1989, the fall of communism in Romania, can recover their property in kind or receive "equitable compensation" if restitution is no longer possible.
Since 1989, Bucharest has adopted a number of laws meant to make good on any injustice, but the documents favoured tenants at the cost of the former owners and the law was often abused.
Romania was condemned in dozens of cases by the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg for this abuse of justice, which estimated that Romania had deprived former property owners of their right to a fair trial.

Source: http://www.haaba.com/news-story/romania-compensates-communisms-victims-pm

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