Government ordered to pay zl.40,000 to citizen in property rights ruling

The EU Human Rights Tribunal in Strasbourg has ordered the Polish government to make a payment of zl.40,000, after finding in favor of a citizen who claimed he had been deprived of his property. Under the Tribunal's ruling, Ryszard Z. must have returned to him the property he inherited from his father, but which was expropriated in 1952. However, the building still houses the headquarters of the Lomza police, and the local authorities have launched legal action seeking on behalf of the police occupants' rights to it. According to yesterday's ruling by the Tribunal, the Polish government must pay zl.15,000 in compensation to Mr. Z for depriving him of his property rights, and zl.25,000 in legal costs. The Tribunal gave the government and Mr. Z. six months to implement its ruling. (Rzeczpospolita, p. A1) K.K