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News & Events

May 11, 2001

SERB FORMER SLAVE LABOR ELIGIBLE FOR SWISS BANK SETTLEMENT

ATTORNEY WARNS THAT CLAIMS PROCESS IS CONFUSING

Serbs who performed forced and slave labor for Swiss owned firms are now eligible for payments through a little known clause in the settlement that ended the court cases against Swiss Banks in the United States. While Jews, Gypsies, and homosexuals were recognized as victims of Nazism by the court, Serbs and other victims of Fascism have been largely ignored.

Thanks to persistent lobbying in part by the Ukrainian anti Fascist organizations, Ukrainians, Serbs, Russians and others who were forced to work for Swiss owned firms such as Nestle, Ciba-Geigy, Sandoz, Novartis, Hoffmann-La Roche, Maggi, Wander, and many other companies in Germany, Switzerland, Poland, Austria. Italy, France, Belgium, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Hungary, and Norway now may be compensated.

Jonathan Levy, an attorney for several Ukrainian organizations warns that the claims process is confusing and potential non-Jewish claimants have been underestimated. Levy had opposed the virtual exclusion of non-Jewish victims from the Swiss bank settlement. Levy now is concerned that the claims process may work against former slave laborers for Swiss companies. “They have until only September 30, 2001 to file a claim, certain parties have tried to keep our organizations out of the process, they undercounted our victims and now are dragging their feet in publicizing the process.” Ukrainian organizations hope to meet with the International Organization for Migration who is handling claims the slave labor claims in an attempt to deal with these problems.

All potential claimants are urged to file for benefits. In Yugoslavia claim forms can be obtained by calling the court appointed represent at telephone 457 774, in Ukraine (044) 490 5684 and in the United States 877-691-2862.

Jonathan Levy
Law Offices of Tom Easton and Jonathan Levy
Attorneys for Plaintiffs
Alperin v. Vatican Bank