Acquitted and compensation

Annelie · Post by **Annelie** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 4:12 am

I noticed in a paper article about an commander which was acquitted
of war crimes that compensation was paid to him for the months
of which he spent in jail.

Is this normal? I was wondering about others that were released
whether they too were given compensation? Whom would
pay this?

Andy H · Post by **Andy H** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 6:05 am

Ultimately its you & me the tax payer, though it may come from an official government body.

Regards

Lorenz · Post by **Lorenz** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 6:08 am

Annelie -

I think we will need some additional information before we can comment:

1. Was this a wartime or postwar event?
2. To what army did the accused belong and in what country did the alleged war crime occur?
3. In which country did the hearing/court-martial/trial and imprisonment occur and when?
4. Under what terms and conditions was the compensation paid and what was it based on (days of lost work?)?

I have never heard of such an arrangement, but if the accused was falsely charged and imprisoned as a result of prosecutorial misconduct and then hired attorneys to sue the arresting authority's government, I could see where a court might make such an award. This might occur in the post-1960 period, but probably not prior to that.

--Lorenz

Annelie · Post by **Annelie** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 6:22 am

The man was tried in Munich were he was acquitted. He
was from Slovakia

after he was captured and took charge of the Slovak section of a Nazi unit,

appeared exhausted as the judge explained the verdict and awarded him compensation for the months he spent in custody, bowing his head and closing his eyes.

“I always hoped it would come to a fair verdict,” told reporters afterward. “I’m relieved after these two years of mental torture.”

Lorenz · Post by **Lorenz** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 6:45 am

Yes, I know the case. There was a lot of discussion about it over on Axis History Forum. Since the matter of compensation seems to be highly unusual, you might want to do a search on the case on AHF. Start with the fellow's last name or full name in the search block. IIRC, he was a Czech-speaking Abwehr Hauptmann who was second in command of a Frontaufklärungstrupp or Frontaufklärungskommando.

--Lorenz

Mobile Infantry · Post by **Mobile Infantry** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 10:49 am

For those who understand german here´s an anrticle with the full story:

Freispruch für Niznansky

15 Monate lang musste sich der 88-jährige Ladislav Niznansky vor Gericht für den Vorwurf verantworten, 1945 an einem Massaker an Zivilisten beteiligt gewesen zu sein. Aus Mangel an Beweisen wurde der 88-jährige nun freigesprochen. Jetzt kann er mit Haftentschädigung rechnen.

Das Schwurgericht München I sah es nicht als erwiesen an, dass der heute 88-Jährige gegen Ende des Zweiten Weltkrieges für den Mord an 164 Zivilisten in der Slowakei mitverantwortlich war. Das Gericht sprach Niznansky außerdem eine Entschädigung für neun Monate Untersuchungshaft zu. Es folgte damit dem Antrag der Verteidigung.

Die Staatsanwaltschaft hatte lebenslange Haft verlangt. Niznansky trage als damaliger Kommandeur der slowakischen Kompanie in der Partisanenabwehrgruppe „Edelweiß“ Mitschuld an den Massakern.

„Der Angeklagte hat keine Erschießungen vorgenommen, es konnte auch nicht festgestellt werden, dass er den Befehl dazu gegeben hat“, fasste der Vorsitzende Richter Manfred Götzl die Ergebnisse des gut 15 Monate langen Prozesses zusammen.

Es sei um den Vorwurf des Mordes gegangen, nicht um Brandlegung, Körperverletzung und andere Delikte. Diese Delikte wären inzwischen verjährt. Götzl wies zudem darauf hin, „dass es kaum noch Zeugen gibt, von denen das Gericht sich einen unmittelbaren Eindruck hätte machen können“.

Der Vorsitzende zweifelte auch die Unabhängigkeit eines Gerichtsverfahrens von 1962 in der damaligen Tschechoslowakei an, auf das sich Staatsanwalt Konstantin Kuchenbauer maßgeblich stützte. Selbst in diesem Verfahren sei im Laufe der Beweisaufnahme nicht festgestellt worden, dass einer der Angeklagten am Massenmord an Zivilisten beteiligt war.

Damals war Niznansky unter anderem wegen Hochverrats in Abwesenheit zum Tode verurteilt worden. Mehrere Zeugen hatten ihre damaligen Aussagen aber widerrufen, weil sie erzwungen worden seien.

Kuchenbauer hatte lebenslange Haft wegen gemeinschaftlichen Mordes verlangt und auch eine besondere Schwere der Schuld gesehen. Niznansky habe seiner slowakischen Kompanie den Befehl gegeben, „keine lebendige Seele“ dürfe entkommen.

Dorfbewohner entlasteten Niznanskys Einheit

Überlebende Dorfbewohner hatten aber SS- und Heimatschutz-Männer als Täter beschrieben. Niznansky hatte jede Beteiligung an Liquidierungen bestritten. Das Gericht hatte ihn bereits nach der Anhörung des vermeintlichen Hauptbelastungszeugen vor einem Jahr aus der Untersuchungshaft entlassen.

Bei den Massakern waren Anfang 1945 in den Dörfern Ostry Grun und Klak 146 Menschen, darunter 48 Frauen und 48 Kinder, ermordet worden. Wenig später wurden in Ksinna 18 Juden getötet.

Anwalt Steffen Ufer hatte in seinem Plädoyer argumentiert, sein Mandant habe keine Befehlsgewalt ausgeübt. Niznansky sei gar nicht in der Position gewesen, Tötungsbefehle zu geben. Ihn treffe keine strafrechtliche Schuld an den schrecklichen Massakern. Niznansky selbst hat stets seine Unschuld beteuert.

(dpa/AP)

http://www.sueddeutsche.de/muenchen/artikel/468/66402/

And here a very short summary:
Mr. N. was trialed in Munich but after 15 months the verdict was "not guilty" because the judges thought that there is not enough proof that he was guilty. "In dubio pro reo".
So he has spend some months in imprisonment on remand before he was set free again. It´s german law that he can claim compensation now for that time.

Annelie · Post by **Annelie** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 12:12 pm

And here a very short summary:
Mr. N. was trialed in Munich but after 15 months the verdict was "not guilty" because the judges thought that there is not enough proof that he was guilty. "In dubio pro reo".
So he has spend some months in imprisonment on remand before he was set free again. It´s german law that he can claim compensation now for that time.

Since the law acquitted him of the charges I think he should be
compensatated for time imprisoned. My only interest was
because I don't remember hearing previously anyone acquitted being compensated.

Thankyou

phylo_roadking · Post by **phylo_roadking** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 12:48 pm

Its actually very common in a lot of European legal systems nowadays.

Hans · Post by **Hans** » Tue Oct 10, 2006 3:27 pm

And rightly so!

- Hans

sid guttridge · Post by **sid guttridge** » Thu Oct 12, 2006 9:50 am

Hi Guys,

I am in favour of compensation for people found not guilty.

However, the Scottish legal system has an intermediate category of "Not Proven". This basically means that while the evidence is not sufficient to convict beyond reasonable doubt, reasonable doubt remains. In such cases, where the defendant might be considered fortunate to have escaped conviction, I wouldn't support compensation.

It would appear that this man may fall into this category.

Anyway, properly constituted law is properly consituted law and he is entitled to his compensation under German jurisdiction by right.

Cheers,

Sid.