Vatican Bank

[Magda Hassan]

Introduction to the Vatican Bank Claims Alperin v. Vatican Bank was originally filed in Federal Court in San Francisco in November 1999. The plaintiffs are concentration camp survivors of Serb, Jewish, Roma and Ukrainian background and their relatives as well as organizations representing over 300,000 Holocaust victims and their heirs.
The plaintiffs seek an accounting and recovery of the Ustasha Treasury that according to the US State Department was illicitly transferred to the Vatican, the Franciscan Order and other banks after the end of the war.
Defendants currently include the Vatican Bank and Franciscan Order. These defendants combined to conceal assets looted by the Croatian Nazis from concentration camp victims, Serbs, Jews, Roma and former Soviet citizens from Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia 1941-1945.
Levy v. CIA is a lawsuit filed under the Freedom of Information Act seeking release of US Intelligence agency files regarding the notorius Vatican spymaster, Fr. Krunoslav Draganovic. New records on Draganovic were released as a result of the successful conclusion of that lawsuit in 2001.
About the Attorneys
Dr. Jonathan Levy is licensed in California and the District of Columbia and has represented organizations and individuals in a variety of Holocaust and Second World War related lawsuits including banking, insurance, and slave labor matters. Jon is also a member of the International Criminal Bar in The Hague and has a PhD in Political Science.
Tom Easton is a veteran California civil rights attorney. Tom has traveled extensively in Russia and Europe and holds a Masters degree in History.
Windle Turley is a nationally recognized plaintiffs' attorney and is responsible for the first multi million dollar jury verdict against a Roman Catholic Diocese for sexual abuse of children in 1998.

Of Counsel
Milosh D. Milenkovich was president of a worldwide Serbian organization and is an attorney in Cleveland, Ohio. Mr. Milenkovich came to the United States from Yugoslavia in 1954.

Duncan Macdonald is a solicitor specializing in international transactions.
Much of the historical background of the Vatican Bank Claims is documented in this book authored by Dr. Jonathan Levy who also serves as plaintiffs' co-counsel in this case. This is supported by thousands of pages of declassified documents and the testimony of former Army Counterintelligence Agent, William Gowen who served in Rome 1946-1947. From the author of exposes on Medjugorje and the Vatican Bank. Featuring startling new information, Intermarium redefines the politics of east central Europe for the 21st Century.
Click here to purchase this book through amazon.com
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Law Offices of Attorneys, Thomas Dewey Easton & Dr. Jonathan H Levy

Telephone: 202-318-2406
resistk@yahoo.com

NEWSLETTER TO CLAIMANTS Plaintiffs Petition Appellate Court, January 12, 2010
Appellate Court Dismissed Vatican Bank - Lawsuit Against Franciscans Ongoing, Dcember 29, 2009
Court says "No" to Amicus Brief by Franciscan Friars of California, Inc.
Plaintiffs Sur Brief, August 2009
Shocking testimony about the Vatican Bank in related case, Dale v. Holy See, on how the Catholic Church launders money
Sixth Amended Complaint by Holocaust Survivors against Franciscan Order, April 14, 2009
District Overrules Objections & Permits Filing of Amended Complaint, April 14, 2009
Appeal against Vatican Bank filed in Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, January 2009
Fifth Amended Complaint filed on March 17, 2008
Current Status of Lawsuit
District Court dismisses defendant Vatican Bank on grounds of jurisdiction. Lawsuit still pending against defendant Franciscan Order, December 27, 2007
Report from Serbia & Italy, June 23 – July 5, 2007
June 15, 2006- Order of the Court
Case Management Conference Set for February 24, 2006
Court grants leave to file 4th Amended Complaint
US Supreme Court turns down Vatican Bank request to dismiss lawsuit
District Court orders Additional Deposition of Key Witness, former Army Intelligence Officer, December 13, 2005
District Court Orders Deposition of former Army Intelligence Officer Who Investigated Ante Pavelic and other Ustasha in Rome in 1947 Vatican Objections to Last Remaining Witness to Vatican Ratline Telling His Story Overruled
Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals Reinstates Lawsuit Against Vatican Bank and Franciscan Order Read the Court Decision
ALPERIN VS. VATICAN BANK APPEAL TO BE HEARD OCTOBER 7, 2004 IN THE NINTH CIRCUIT COURT OF APPEALS Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, Briefing Schedule
Details
JUNE 2003 DISTRICT COURT DISMISSES CASE Details
JANUARY 2003 DISTRICT COURT ISSUES RULINGS Judge grants Motion to Dismiss
Judge Addressed Default by Croatian Liberation Movement
JULY 2002 NEW PLEADINGS FILED IN FEDERAL COURT
Plaintiffs' Notice to Court Concerning Lawsuits Against the Vatican
Defendants' Response
Please Duplicate and Distribute April 29, 2001 News for Immediate Release
NOTICE OF COURT HEARING

On May 25, 2001, the Honorable Judge Maxine Chesney will hold a hearing on the issue of "Political Question." The Vatican Bank and Franciscan Order have asked the court to dismiss the class action on grounds the court does not have jurisdiction over "political" matters. On behalf of plaintiffs we will be vigorously opposing the defendants’ motion.
All plaintiffs and potential class members as well as other interested parties are encouraged to attend this historic court hearing.
Hearing Date: May 25, 2001
Time: 9:00 a.m.
Place: United States District Court, Courtroom 5, 17th Floor, 450 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, CA
EASTON & LEVY
NEWSLETTER TO CLAIMANTS
No.9 ~ August 1, 2000
Dear Friends:
We are pleased to announce several interesting development in the case as of August 1, 2000:
1. We are asking the court for permission to add the Swiss National Bank to the list of defendants. The Swiss National Bank accepted deposits of Ustasha loot during the Second World War but has never accounted for much of the gold and other stolen property. As you may know, the Swiss National Bank recently settled claims against it and other Swiss banks for 1.25 billion dollars, however that settlement did not address the Ustasha treasury.
2. The Franciscan Order has been quite aggressive in their denials of collaboration and participation in Ustasha atrocities. We have submitted additional details of the Franciscans complicity in genocide to the court.
3. The nature and ownership of the Vatican Bank remains a mystery, we have asked the court for an order requiring the Vatican Bank to supply us with this key information about itself.
4. We are pleased to announce that David Guyatt of London, England has been retained as our expert in international banking. David has twenty four years experience as an international banker and is now an author specializing in plundered WWII assets.

5. We welcome two new individual plaintiffs, Dr Daniel Pyevich of Hillsdale, IL (whose parents were born in Citluk, near Gospic, Lika, and who lost many relatives there in WW2) and Koviljka Popovic of Smederevo, Yugoslavia (daughter of Bozo Kolak, a farmer of the village of Tulje, Trebinje, murdered by the Ustashi), as well a new organization, The International Union of Former Juvenile Prisoners of Fascism which represents Nazi victims in the former Soviet Union including Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus.
Dear Friends: The scope of the class action lawsuit against the Vatican Bank and other defendants is worldwide. Any person or organization that lost property or was a victim of the Ustasha regime in Croatia is eligible to participate, this includes heirs. Since the lawsuit process is at its very beginning, the Court has not yet decided if this matter may proceed. Therefore it will be important to demonstrate to the Court the worldwide class is both numerous and diverse, we need potential claimants to come from forward from all groups of victims in as many states and countries as possible. We especially need claimants from Yugoslavia and California.
We are STILL gathering the stories of WW2 Ustashi atrocities. We anticipate that the defendant Franciscan Order may deny its participation with the Ustasha regime despite the well documented historical evidence to the contrary, any stories or testimonies about the Franciscans or Catholic Church in Croatia during 1941 to 1945 would help our case. Indeed all stories are important because they demonstrate to the Judge the importance of our cause.
LAW OFFICES OF THOMAS DEWEY EASTON & JONATHAN LEVY

http://www.vaticanbankclaims.com/news.html