The Italian counsel and the German counsel gave their opening speeches defending themselves and criminalising their opponent. Firstly, the Italian counsel argued that Germany has committed various international crimes. Such crimes can’t just go unpunished for the sake of state immunity. Secondly, the German counsel argues that Germany’s state immunity was breached by Italy. Therefore they should be charged and held accountable for there crime.
The Italian counsel believes that if a country commits such crimes, they lose the immunity right. The Italian counsel also specifies that german soldiers terrorised Italien villages and countless other atrocities such as murder, abuse, forced labor..etc. It went as far as destroying entire villages, such as Deportivo. In 1933, Germany made an agreement – pay 40 million German pounds to repair the injustice they have caused.
The republic of Germany’s speech followed, they believe that Italy does not have the right to sue them in there nation due to there state immunity. However, Italy believes that they have the right to do so because they caused corruption. The advocates represented the case by presenting their claims, the defense team stipulated all of the claims. The Italian counsel proved that Germany violated the Jus Cogens law. Italy said that Germany has committed a lot of crimes against human rights and they must be judged as guilty, and can’t be neglected because of state immunity. These crimes are not related to the war. The Italian republic showed a picture of a statue in the Italian museum and it was basically a dead mother surrounded by her dead children, and they showed this picture to prove that Germany killed thousands of people such as mothers and their children.
We conclude that Italy has a lead and that the next time there will be witnesses. Now our question is: who will be the mystery witness?
Omar Sedky
Mariam Chafik
Hussein Tarek
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