Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton wrote to the Polish prime minister requesting that his country enact a restitution law for property confiscated during the Nazi and communist eras. Also signing the letter to Jaroslaw Kaczynski were members of the Helsinki Commission. Clinton (D-N.Y.) and the commission want the Polish government to ensure that properties obtained illegally will be returned or the owners will be properly compensated.The signers welcomed statements by Polish government officials that they would work to pass legislation on the issue by the end of this year, but the commission expressed concerns that the victims have experienced numerous delays in their efforts to gain restitution.Along with restitution or compensation, the commission’s recommendations in the letter to Kaczynski included keeping burdens for filing a claim to a minimum, consistent involvement of the central government and the return of artwork to its rightful owners.”The delay in resolving the property claims of elderly survivors and their family members has gone on for too long,” Clinton said.The Helsinki Commission is a U.S. government agency that monitors and encourages compliance with the agreements of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, as established by the Helsinki Accords. Thirty-five countries signed on to the accords in 1975.
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